


Power

by JayceCarter



Series: Nora and Colter [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dubious Consent, Eventual Smut, F/M, Master/Slave, Non-Consensual Spanking, Not Canon Compliant, Punishment, Rough Sex, Slavery, Slow Burn, Spanking, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-12-30 09:29:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 24
Words: 49,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12105747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayceCarter/pseuds/JayceCarter
Summary: Nora wakes up 200 years in the future, only for raiders to capture her, put a slave collar on her, and deliver her to Nuka World in chains. When the Overboss there claims her as his own personal slave, she's forced to come to terms with the new world while trying to outsmart enemies surrounding her. If only she could decide whether her new owner was an enemy or friend.Keeping three gangs from killing each other or him had proven more difficult than Colter ever expected. Now, on top of that all, he has to deal with a strange woman he owns who has more secrets than any one person should. Worse? He starts to see her as more than property, something that puts them both at risk.As Nora and Colter become closer, can they find a way to create new lives for themselves, or will Nuka World tear them apart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've been working on this and finally decided to post some of it. I am working on my outstanding fics, too! I'm sorry, focus has just not come easily to me as of late. I promise to keep working on the others as well. I just have a good portion of this one already done, and I couldn't stop thinking about it! :) 
> 
> This story is clearly canon breaking. In it, Nora is captured on her way to save Preston and taken to Nuka World as a slave, meaning she hasn't completed any of the Commonwealth quests and doesn't know much about the world.

Colter crossed his arms as he looked at the new slaves, not a one of them anyone he’d be interested in. He swore, every batch came in more and more beat up every time.

 

Pretty soon they’d be sending buckets of parts with collars around them.

 

When was the last time anything fun came through? Months, at least. The last was a man, spitting fire and yelling about how his brother would come after them. He’d been one of the few slaves to make it up to raider status, taken in by Mason and the Pack when they'd realized he was more predator than prey. A few slaves could make that jump, but most never did.

 

These five? Dull.

 

Three women, two men. All skinny, underfed, dirty. None he’d take a second look at, even if he wanted a slave.

 

“You calling dibs on anything, Overboss?” Gage hefted his pants up, gaze shrewd for a man with only one eye.

 

“They look pretty rough.”

 

“Yeah. I’m thinking we’re gonna stop letting the Pack pick ‘em up. They seem to be chewing on ‘em a lot during the trip.”

 

Colter released a soft laugh. “Doesn’t matter. Send the caps over to Mason, then get William and Nisha over to make their picks.”

 

“Should consider taking one for yourself.”

 

“I’m not into slaves.”

 

“Don’t have to fuck ‘em. Let ‘em clean your shit, cook for you, whatever. You keep not tasting the goods, the raiders are gonna think you’re gonna get rid of slaves all together. It ain’t a secret that you ain’t a fan of that shit, and the last thing you want is for them to get nervous, Boss.”

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

Gage nodded, taking off to handle the details. He’d never taken any interest in a slave that Colter had seen, the man too busy manipulating people to bother with having his own slave. Not that he didn’t fuck them now and then, though he tended to prefer professionals. Colter had asked him once why waste good caps on sex, and he’d said everyone paid for sex. Never came for free.

 

Hard to argue with logic like that.

 

Colter walked up to the slaves, passing each one. No men. Despite women being more vicious, at least they were nice to look at, and they tended to clean better, too. The three women didn’t look much different from each other, all in filthy clothing, none looking at him. Didn’t surprise him, a slave who’d been a slave any amount of time learned not to look people in the eyes.

 

One had a muscular build and more spark than he wanted to deal with, so Colter crossed her off the list right away. He needed someone to fill the spot, to make him look hard on the slave issue, and he didn’t need the headache of someone rebellious. The last two stood beside each other at the end of the line.

 

“Can either of you cook?”

 

The woman one the left shook her head, and the one on the right nodded.

 

“Any other skills?”

 

The woman who had nodded spoke up, voice quick. “I’m a great cook. I can clean really well, too. I can read, and I know how to clean weapons and armor, too.”

 

Colter lifted his hand to silence her, then focused on the silent one. “And you? Any skills?”

 

She shook her head.

 

“Can you talk?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Oh, that voice was interesting. It was rough, raspy. Not the bubbly voice of a kid but the voice of a woman, a real woman. Colter tilted his head, smiling as he lowered himself to catch her gaze. “Not a single skill at all? Hard to believe you could make it to your age and not manage anything. First aid? Charming conversation?” He let his gaze drop meaningfully. “Nothing at all?”

 

“Nothing, sir.”

 

Colter laughed and shrugged. Since he didn’t fuck slaves, she was useless to him. He turned back to the woman with all the skills. “You’re mine. Head up to Overboss quarters.” Colter pointed to his place. “Get some food started.”

 

The slave nodded, running off.

 

The woman who’d claimed not to have any skills released a long breath, shoulders sagging in relief. Colter shook his head and left the odd woman be.

 

 

#

 

“Great fucking plan,” Colter snapped as he stared between the blade in his side and the dead slave on the floor. She’d cooked his dinner, cleaned his place, and stabbed him with a blade she’d had hidden in the folds of her dress when he’d turned his back.

 

Gage had taken the shot, dropping her, but it didn’t help that he now had one of his favorite blades sticking out of him.

 

“I said to take a slave; I didn’t say give her access to your weapons. Mackenzie ain’t gonna be here for at least an hour, she’s patching up one of Mason’s boys out beyond the walls. But, look, one of the new slaves is a doctor or some shit. Least, that’s what the boys who brought ‘em in said.”

 

Must have been one of the men. “Go get him, then. I’d rather not bleed out tonight.”

 

Colter sat in the chair by the table, gulping down some of his whiskey while he tried to stay still. He knew enough to leave the blade in until the doctor, or whatever he was, got there. Didn’t need to bleed out while he waited. They could pull the blade, stimpack him, and sew him up.

 

Fifteen minutes later, the lift came to life, groaning as it always did when more than one person rode it. Hell, everything seemed seconds from breaking in Nuka World, but it home sweet home anyway.

 

When the lift reached the top, Colter let out a laugh. “So, it seems you did have some skills you didn’t mention.”

 

The slave from earlier hesitated, but Gage set a hand around the back of her neck and pushed her forward.

 

“You see that body there?” Gage moved her head until she stared at the other slave’s body. “I killed her because she decided to stab the Overboss. I’m gonna need you to go ahead and patch him up. Decide to take advantage of this, hurt him, just look at him wrong, and you’ll end up just like her. Tell me you understand.”

 

She nodded, and Gage yanked once at her collar.

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

“Good.” Gage released her and looked at Colter. “Patted her down for weapons. She’s clean. You want me to stay?”

 

“No. Head out, Gage. I can handle one little slave.”

 

Gage released a huff that said Colter hadn’t handled the last one, which was fair, but the raider knew better than to come out and say it. Gage was a lot of shit, but he was smart with his mouth at least. He hauled the corpse out of the room, then left Colter alone with the slave woman.

 

Her gaze darted around, searching.

 

“Medkit is behind the bar. It’ll have stimpacks and bandages.”

 

She nodded and retrieved the kit before returned and kneeling beside him. She moved quickly, efficiently.

 

Yeah, she’d been lying for sure. The woman knew her way around medicine like she'd been doing it for years. Had she really been a doctor?

 

“I will have to remove the knife. Do you want anything for the pain?”

 

“Been stabbed by one slave tonight, I think I’ll keep my wits about me. Whiskey’ll do fine. Do what you have to.”

 

She removed the knife in a fast jerk, setting it on the table beside Colter, making no attempt to pocket it for herself. She injected the stimpack, then went to work stitching the wound. He had to admit, her competence was impressive.

 

She made Mackenzie look like a hack, the lines of stitches even despite her speed. She finished with a bandage, then cleaned the mess away until nothing but the bandage showed anything had happened.

 

Before she stood, Colter grasped her chin, forcing her eyes on his when it was clear she didn't want to look at him. “Why did you lie to me? Clearly, you have skills.”

 

“If I told you I had skills, I might have been the one you picked.”

 

“And that would have been so bad?”

 

“Yes.” She didn’t pull away, even as his thumb rubbed against her jaw.

 

“Why? Trust me, there are worse people around than me. Come on, answer. You won’t be punished for whatever you say.”

 

“You rule this place, which means you’re worse than anyone else here. This place is a snake and you’re the head. I wanted to stay away from all the teeth.”

 

He tilted his head before smiling at the soft words, at the way she spoke. “Well, what a pity for you. I’ve been told I need a slave, and my last one didn’t work out. I have an open position, and it looks like you’re next in line for the job. I could use your medical expertise, and if you lied about one thing, I’d bet you lied about others.”

 

Her lips pressed together into a tight line. Not broken, then. Patient. Smart. Not broken. Good, he didn’t care for broken toys.

 

“Can you behave yourself, dove?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Good. Let me make my expectations clear. You’ll clean, you’ll cook, you won’t stab me. Fail the first two, you’ll be punished. Fail the last one, and I’ll kill you. You answer to me and no one else. You aren’t community property, you’re mine. It’ll give you a few perks, but don’t take advantage of them. I don't care for brats. Got it?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

He laughed softly. “You sure are good at pretending to be broken, aren’t you? Don’t think I’m falling for it. Time for bed.”

 

“Where should I sleep?”

 

“Don’t really care. The bed is big enough for two, but if you’d rather, there’s a couch.” He pulled off his shirt, now soaked in blood, and tossed it into the hamper.

 

She looked at the couch, and very pointedly not at him, the choice written all over her face.

 

“Tomorrow you’ll bathe, as well. I might be a raider, but I don’t abide by filth. Understood?”

 

She nodded, gaze down, and he’d swear a blush ran up her cheeks. Hard to tell beneath the dirt. She curled up on the couch, arms wrapped around herself, back to him, taking up as little room as possible. 

 

Colter tossed a blanket over her. “What’s your name?”

 

She pulled the blanket around her before answering, voice quiet even in the silence of the room. “Nora.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Colter had left by the time Nora woke. New clothing sat on the table along with a rag, two cans of purified water, soap, and a towel.

 

It seemed he hadn’t been joking about the bath, a funny thing given how filthy everyone seemed to be. Of course, Colter hadn't been dirty, at least not compared to the others. 

 

She really didn’t want to bathe.

 

Not because she liked being dirty. The stench even she noticed turned her stomach. She came from a time when people showered daily, and that wasn’t the new world. The grime on her made her itch and want to use her nails to scratch it off. Years as a doctor had led her to regarding cleanliness as a vital part of life. 

 

But. . . being dirty was less attractive, less noticeable. She really wanted to go unnoticed.

 

Ever since she’d woken up, she’d felt far too on display. From the moment she’d walked out of that vault, people had stared at her. Not that she’d made it far. Her first attempt to do something, anything, by saving some people in Concord, and she’d felled up the whole thing. 

 

She'd lifted her rifle, then froze. Killing wasn't something she'd done. She was a healer, not a killer. The raiders had grabbed her, slapped a collar on her, and shipped her off. No one had touched her, not really. She’d stayed quiet, tried to get along, not upset anyone and not make anyone interested, either.

 

So when Colter, the Overboss, had asked her about any skills she’d had, it had been an obvious choice to lie. If there was anyone she didn’t want to notice her, it was him. The odds of getting away went down when faced with that man. 

 

Not that it had mattered, here she was anyway, trapped.

 

She peeled off the baggy dress the raiders had given her, tense, listening for the sound of anyone. She filled the bowl with water and made quick work of wiping the dirt off her.

 

She started with her middle, cleaning between her legs, her stomach, her chest, as much of her back as she could reach. She moved out from there, wiping her arms, her legs. She wrung the rag and cleaned her face. The water in the bowl was dark and murky.

 

It made her feel. . . exposed. On display. She hated this, not being able to hide behind the dirt. 

 

She wrapped the towel around her, fastening it around her chest.

 

“Well, that’s better.”

 

Nora leapt back, crouching down and backing away.

 

Colter walked up to her, capturing her chin and lifting her face. “Who would have thought there would be an actual woman beneath all that dirt, and a pretty one at that.”

 

She flinched, closing her eyes. Here it was coming. He’d take her. She was a slave, and she wasn’t stupid. Naive about this world or not, she knew damned well what men did with female slaves. Despite her having avoided it so far, she knew what was coming.

 

His thumb brushed her cheek again. “Relax, dove.”

 

Easy for him to say. Sure, relax. Just accept it. Lie back and try to enjoy it. Close your eyes and picture anything you needed to. 

 

He turned her so her back was to him, and she clutched the towel to keep it around her. Her knuckles went white from the grip.

 

He didn’t grope her, didn't tear the towel away. He tilted her head back and washed her hair, using the soap and other can of water to rinse. Once it was clean, he braided it, fastening the bottom of the braid with a rope. He released her and took a step back. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

 

Nora swallowed hard before turning to face him, ignoring his question. “I thought you would be gone all day.”

 

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the post near the lift. “I came back to check in on you, see how you are settling in, and to make sure you hadn't decided to run off.”

 

“I haven’t cleaned anything yet.”

 

“That’s fine. I am not unreasonable. You bathed as I asked you to do. The rest can wait.”

 

Nora took a deep breath before risking a look at him. “Don’t do this. Don’t act like we’re friends, please, like you’re not going to hurt me. Just get it over with.”

 

“I wasn’t planning on hurting you.”

 

“That’s bullshit. I’m a slave, your slave. You’ll do whatever you want with me.” Her words snapped out, hard and angry before she could censor them. 

 

He smiled. “I knew you weren’t broken. Even if you played at it, I could see it. I’ll be honest with you, even if you won’t believe me. I don’t fuck slaves. There’s no sport or fun in someone who can’t say no. So, I won’t be expecting anything of that sort from you.”

 

She took a step backward, towel still around her. That sounded well and good, and he even sounded like he believed it. Good intentions didn’t mean anything, though. He’d get drunk and handsy and she’d be an easy target. It was only a matter of time.

 

He released a soft sigh. “Guess I can’t blame you for not believing me. You’ll see, though. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a liar. I’m tough, but I’m fair. Do what I tell you to, and we’ll get along fine.”

 

Nora nodded, unwilling to argue with him.

 

“I’ll be back tonight. Don’t worry about cleaning today. Just prepare something for dinner and settle in. I’ll be back just after sundown. Tell me you understand, Nora. I have to know that you understand what I expect. I don’t like punishing people for things they don’t understand. It just frustrates everyone.”

 

“I understand. I’ll make dinner and have it ready.”

 

“Good. This is working out well so far. Please, don’t do anything we’ll regret. I dislike having to punish slaves, but don't think I won't.”

 

Nora didn’t move until Colter left, until the lift reached the bottom, and she stood alone in the room. She was trapped, without options or allies or skills.

 

Her skin itched against the collar, and her knees went weak. How could she do this? How could this be her life now?

 

She needed to find Shaun, to find whoever killed Nate, but instead of that, instead of doing anything, she’d only managed to get herself caught and put into slavery.

 

Nora’s knees hit the ground, and she gave herself over to the sorrow.

 

#

 

Colter didn’t bother to look for Nora when he walked into his quarters that evening. The smell of grilled brahmin greeted him, telling him she’d done as he’d asked. Good. While he would punish her if he needed to, he hadn't wanted to. He found the idea of it distasteful. 

 

He walked to the bed, beside the dresser, and pulled off his armor. It clanked against the floor when he dropped it.

 

Nora stood in the kitchen, finishing the food. Neither spoke.

 

Colter removed his shirt, next. He tossed it into the hamper with the last bloody shirt. He’d given up wearing anything that wasn’t red or black, because everything else stained. Though, maybe Nora could get stains out.

 

He cast his gaze toward the kitchen just in time to see Nora turn away in a quick jerk.

 

Strange woman. He hated to admit, he’d been excited to get home, to see her. She challenged him in a way he liked. He didn’t care for outright rebellion, for spitting and cursing and throwing punches. Her though? She was stronger than she let on, and that drew him.

 

He pulled on a new shirt. “Food smells good.”

 

Nora walked over to the table and set a plate of food down, silverware already placed, a beer set there. “I didn’t know what you liked to eat. If you give me an idea in the future, I can make sure I cook things you’ll want to eat.”

 

Colter took the seat where the plate was. “Where’s yours?”

 

“I’m not hungry.”

 

“I didn’t ask if you were hungry, dove. You can’t starve yourself to death, you know, I won't allow it.”

 

She wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the seat across the table like it was the biggest threat in the room, like Colter didn't exist, like nothing but that chair existed. “I can’t.”

 

“Can’t what?”

 

“I can’t sit at that table and eat with you.” Her voice was so soft he struggled to hear her. “Please, don’t make me.”

 

Colter sighed, but he wouldn’t force her. For one, the woman might pass out if she kept up that trembling and breathing thing she was doing. For another, forcing her to do shit might make things worse. “Fine. Take some food and sit wherever you want, but you will eat. I won't argue with you anymore about it.”

 

Nora nodded. “Can I clean up the kitchen, first?”

 

He wanted her to sit down and eat with him. His place was quiet, and the idea of having someone waiting for him, someone to talk to, it had pleased him. He pushed the food around on his plate. “Whatever you’d like.”

 

She hesitated, then whispered, “thank you.” She turned toward the kitchen and cleaned the pans she’d used, setting them to dry on the counter. The movement was efficient, mindless, the sign of someone who’d done this a million times.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

She froze, and the muscles of her back tensed from beneath the tank top she wore. “A long way away.”

 

“Is that the best answer you’ve got?”

 

“It is the best answer I want to give.”

 

He took a bite of the food. Damn, it was good. Far better than the other slave, plus this one hadn’t stabbed him. “Fair enough. Won’t push it. How was your day?”

 

Nora put some vegetables into a bowl. “It was fine.”

 

“Tomorrow you can go out some. You’ll need to pick up things for dinner sometimes, or for the loft, so you should know where the market it. I have a tab, so that won’t be a problem.”

 

“Am I safe?”

 

“Safe enough. You’re mine, and no one dares to screw with what’s mine.”

 

Nora nodded and took her bowl to the side of the room. She slid down to the floor, back to the wall, and ate. She used her fingers to pick the vegetables out and pop them into her mouth.

 

“Only veggies?”

 

“I don’t eat meat,” she said.

 

“Well that’s stupid.”

 

She said nothing, gaze down, as she placed another piece of food into her mouth. Those lips distracted him, the way they wrapped around her finger, licking the juices of the food off.

 

Colter tore his gaze away and stopped trying to draw her into a conversation that wasn't happening. They finished the meal in silence, and Colter helped to clean the last few dishes while Nora changed into sleeping clothes. He’d had items brought for her and placed into a dresser, beside his, and she’d neither thanked him nor commented on them. He would have been happier if she at least had argued them. He hadn’t expected her to, but even so, it stung. She wasn’t rude. She simply didn’t care one way or the other.

 

He kept his back to her as she changed. The small glimpse of skin after she’d washed had been more than enough temptation for him. Her skin was pale, unblemished, and far too memorable. Hell, when his fingers had touched her shoulders to turn her, he'd wanted to dip his fingers down, undo the towel, and bend her over the first surface he could find.

 

But, she was a slave. She didn’t want him, and even if she did, as a slave, she couldn’t say no. If she couldn’t say no, she couldn’t say yes, and while Colter had done some terrible things, forcing women wasn’t one of them. When he fucked someone, he liked them desperate for him. He wanted them feeling like they had to have him. What fucking fun was it when they didn’t want him? His favorite part was the moans on his partners lips, the bite of their nails when they came, and the feel of their teeth in his skin. You couldn't get that through force, so what was the point? 

 

He turned after finishing the dishes. “Where will you sleep?”

 

That flash of fear in her eyes returned, the one that said she still expected him to attack her. “The couch?" The words came out a question. 

 

He grabbed the blanket from the bed again, this time along with a pillow, and placed them on the couch. “Goodnight, Nora.”

 

“Goodnight, sir.” The title came out like poison on her lips, something forced out before it choked her, as she got onto the couch.

 

He was tired of hearing sir. He wanted to hear his name, wanted to see those lips form around the sound of his name. Not sir. Not some random title. He could tolerate her not talking to him, not liking him, but damn it, he wanted her to use his name. He was Overboss, not some weak, worthless farmer, and he owned her. This was a little thing to expect from her, a small payment for everything he was giving her. 

 

"Use my name," he demanded. 

 

She frowned, twisting her neck to see his face as he stood over her. "I don't want to."

 

"I didn't ask you what you wanted. I told you to use my name." 

 

Her fingers reached up and brushed her collar, like she needed to remind herself of her position. "Colter," she whispered, forced.

 

He released an unhappy huff before storming toward the bed. Fuck him, because the name he'd wanted to hear so damned bad from him tasted like ashes. 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Nora woke in the darkness of the early morning hours. Soft snores came from the bed, and for a moment, she was back home.

 

She was with Nate, with Shaun down the hallway, in the world she used to know. She pictured rolling over and throwing an arm around Nate, pulling him into a kiss, and maybe even convincing him to give in to losing a little sleep.

 

She smiled as she pictured it, until she shifted and the pull of a slave collar woke her from the fantasy.

 

The snores continued but grew sinister, like the rest of the room. This wasn’t her room, or her home, or her world. She'd lost all that and gotten nothing but this collar in return. 

 

Nora slid off the couch, steps soft and silent. She crossed the room to look at the man who owned her. He was large, accent clearer than most of the raiders, and it made her wonder how he’d gotten here. People didn’t travel the way they used to, so how did he keep an accent?

 

His chest was bare, the blanket pooled around his waist, an arm behind his head, face relaxed as he slept. She hadn't looked at him before, had refused to. Now though, with him asleep, she was able to study him. He had more than his share of scars over him, some deep, some shallow, over his chest, his arms. 

 

She could kill him.

 

The idea came so quickly she couldn’t help it. But, she couldn’t. Not really. Sure, there were weapons, but killing just wasn’t in her. It wasn’t who she’d ever been, and a part of her refused to let that go, to become that person. No matter how the world had changed, she refused to.

 

She went to turn away when he moved toward her in a fast grab. He grasped her wrist, hard eyes on her. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

 

She didn't answer right away, not until he tightened his grip to a painful squeeze. “It’s not who I am.”

 

His thumb rubbed over her wrist and he tugged for forward until she moved onto the bed beside him. It left her leaning over him, but still not touching beside his grip on her wrist. “It’s who everyone is, deep down. Push hard enough, everyone becomes that person.”

 

“I thought you said you wouldn’t force me.”

 

He brought his other hand to her chin, tilting her head, examining her as he so often did, like he didn’t understand her. He always seemed to want to understand her, and it annoyed her. They weren't dating, they weren't courting. He didn't need to understand her, to know her. That was hers and no slave collar could take it form her. 

 

“I’m not forcing you. In case you’ve forgotten, you were the one I found standing above me, thinking about killing me, when I made it clear the consequences of you trying.”

 

“And I’m the one he decided not to.”

 

“This time.”

 

“That’s all any of us get. This time. So either rape me or let me go.” Nora couldn’t keep the waiver from her voice, the tremble from her hand. So maybe ultimatums with someone who held all the power was stupid, but she hated this dance, where he pretended they were something other than they were, but would use it to his benefit when he wanted.

 

He would threaten her with punishment for not following his rules, force her to use his name, but then act as if he wasn’t like any other slaver. He wanted to pretend he was different, but his behavior wasn't all that different. 

 

Being at the mercy of others frustrated her. She’d been at others' mercy her entire life, forced to accept their choices, to react instead of acting. Forced into medical school by parents who said she needed to continue the family trade. She’d married Nate because she’d become pregnant early in their relationship, and that’s what good women did. That might have worked out, as she did love him, but it hadn’t been her choice. She’d never really had control in her life, and this was only another example.

 

Colter released her, causing her to stumble backward. “I already told you, I won’t rape you. Even if you stripped down and spread those thighs for me, I wouldn’t fuck you.”

 

“High standards?” The snark had her flinching away. Stupid. Don’t taunt the people who could kill you or hurt you if they wanted.

 

He chuckled, still not sitting up. “No, not high standards. I like women who want me, not slaves who don’t have a choice. So, since you aren’t going to kill me, and I’m not going to fuck you, why don’t you drag your ass back to that couch and get a few more hours, huh?”

 

Nora did as he suggested, followed by that damned chuckle that made her cheeks heat, that reminded her how outside of her league she was in dealing with him.

 

She laid back on the couch, pulling the blanket around her like a shield. Just a little longer.

 

She just had to wait and she'd find a way to hurt him. She had to. 

 

#

 

As it turned out, Nora was an amazing cook. The next night’s dinner turned out even better than the first had.

 

“Did you make it to the market today?”

 

She shook her head from her spot on the floor, the same one she’d taken the night before.

 

“Why not? Pretty sure I told you to.”

 

Her shoulders hunched, and her gaze didn’t lift. “The last time I got around a group of raiders, I ended up with a slave collar.”

 

“And what do you think will happen this time? They’ll throw on a second?” He huffed a soft breath and shook his head. “Fine. After we eat, I’ll go down with you, show you around. Would you like that?”

 

She shook her head.

 

“Too fucking bad, dove. I’m not giving you a choice. You can’t just hide out up here forever.”

 

“You said you wanted me to cook and clean. I don’t have to leave to do that.”

 

“And then you’ll go crazy. Trust me, I’ve seen what happens when slaves never get out. It won’t be that bad. I’ll introduce you to Mackenzie, to Harvey, to a few other slaves who’ll show you the ropes.” They were not only slaves, but well-behaved ones. Good company for Nora.

 

She didn’t respond, staring down into her food as she finished eating. She’d done the same thing as the first night, cooking a meat dish and a vegetable dish, then serving herself only the vegetables. He’d heard of people who didn’t eat meat, but it was only rich snobs, usually. The rest of them would die if they didn’t eat whatever they could find. There just wasn’t enough supply to be that picky.

 

Had she been rich before? He could see it, in the way she cooked, in the way she spoke when she did speak, with clear words and a good vocabulary. He'd guessed a vault already, given her skin, but some vault dwellers were nearly as savage as everyone else. She had medical training, but she didn’t speak as if she were used to be in charge, either. A strange combination.

 

He wanted to know more, but she hadn’t been forthcoming, at least not yet. He could order her to tell them, but then she might just lie. Better to coax it from her. It wasn't as if they lacked for time. She wasn't going anywhere.

 

They finished dinner and, as last time, he helped to clean the dishes. Putting things right made him feel better, less stressed. He liked things in their places. He’d grown up in a city where things had places, where people cleaned, where they had order. He’d worked hard to create order from chaos, but Nuka World proved an experiment in chaos. Hell, after leaving his settlement, after it had been burned to ashes, he'd never really found that order again.

 

After he finished, he walked to the lift. “Come along, dove.”

 

Her eyes hardened at the nickname. It seemed she was starting to relax if she was willing to give him a look like that.

 

He only smiled, then nodded to the spot beside him to remind her, he was serious.

 

Nora drew her hands into fists before taking her spot next to him. She looked nice, dressed in jeans and a tank top, her long hair pulled back into a braid. She’d continued to braid it after he had done it, and whether that was coincidence or because she was trying to please him, he wasn’t sure. The only thing he found he hated? Her slave collar. Sure, some sick part of him liked her being under his thumb, but another part didn't want her there because of the damned thing.

 

Slavery wasn’t something he liked, but fuck, he didn’t like a lot of things. It didn’t mean he could change them. The slaves here, Mackenzie and Harvey and Nora, they’d have been dead on their own. These people weren’t tough enough to survive the world. The only reason they had any life was because they were slaves, because that afforded them the protection of whatever gang claimed them.

 

Sure, that protection came with downsides, but it was still life. Everyone paid the price for protection, whether it was scars or slavery.

 

Better than the alternative, and they should be damned thankful to him for the chance.

 

The lift hit the ground and Nora stumbled.

 

He reached out and grabbed her arm to keep her standing, savoring the warmth of her skin for a moment. Too few times to steal small touches, not with how she kept herself as far away from him as possible.

 

Her gaze lowered to where he held her, her tongue wetting her lips as if they’d turned dry, but she didn’t yank away.

 

He released her, then took a step off the lift, ignoring her reaction. “You get a tour, yet? Know anything about this place?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Back to sir, are we? Well, listen up. This here? Disciples. Avoid them. You want company? Pick another gang.”

 

“Why do you have them so close if you don’t trust them.”

 

“Keep your enemies very close so you can see when they pull a knife on you. They serve their purpose. Not many are happier to do a job than them, at least if it involves killing. They love the kill too much, though, and you? You’re exactly the sort of soft of victim they’d love to play with. You don't want them to play with you.”

 

The color drained from her face, and she took a step closer to him as they walked.

 

Next, he walked her by the Parlor. “This is the Operators place. They’re the safest in terms of violence, but they’ll sell you if they can. Spend any time with them, and they’ll bleed you dry of everything they can use. They’re the most likely to want to twist you for information or power. I’d avoid them, too.”

 

She nodded and stayed close, but didn’t answer.

 

“Last is the Pack. They’re easy to spot because they look, dress, and smell like animals. Tough fighters and a group that likes to play dominance games. As scary as they look, they’re probably the least likely to hurt you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because they take the whole stupid Pack idea seriously. Part of that is protecting those who can’t protect themselves, long as they’re no threat, long as they don’t do anything stupid. That alpha of theirs considers slaves like children, and as long as they know their place, they won't do a thing to you. If you go in there swinging, they’ll knock out some teeth, but they won’t mess with you as long as you behave yourself. Still, I wouldn’t go get all friendly with them, either.”

 

“You’ve told me to avoid every gang in the park. Are you going to try and tell me next that you’re the only one I should trust?” All the mistrust on her face said she had no plan of listening to that advice, even if he would say it.

 

But, he didn't lie. She shouldn't trust a single fucking person, not in that park and not anywhere else, either. People chew you up and spit you out the moment they get the chance. While he owned her, while he didn't have any plans on hurting her, she shouldn't trust a damned person. 

 

He leaned in close, fingers brushing over her collar. “Oh, no, dove. You shouldn’t trust me, either.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Nora tried not to look at anyone. Don’t meet their gaze, don’t talk to anyone, just pretend to be anywhere else. She wanted to be as forgettable as possible. Forgotten people were left alone.

 

Colter had gone over to Mackenzie, to explain Nora was allowed to put things on his tab, leaving Nora standing alone by the door.

 

“Hey,” said a kind voice that had her looking up. The mean speaking stood taller than her, though he slouched, wide in the shoulders and dressed in plain clothing.

 

She’d have stumbled backward if it weren’t for the collar at his throat. The idea that a man as strong as that could be a slave shook her. She pictured slaves as weak, sad people. Broken things incapable of protecting themselves. How could a man who carried that sort of muscle be a slave?

 

“Hi,” she said back.

 

He smiled, the first real smile anyone had given her. “Didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Harvey. We hadn’t gotten a chance to meet, yet.”

 

“Nora.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Nora.” His gaze lifted after he spoke, looking behind her, before taking a big step backward.

 

Colter walked up to stand beside Nora. “Hello, Harvey. Talking about anything interesting?” The soft threat in the words didn’t go unnoticed by Nora or Harvey, both cowering slightly.

 

Harvey shook his head. “No, Overboss. Just introducing myself to Nora, here, if that’s okay.”

 

“Sure. It’s why I drug her ass down here when she wanted to hide away in our quarters.”

 

Our quarters? The title had her flinching and adding space between them, taking two steps to the side. He made it sound like they were dating, like they were lovers who shared a home.

 

They weren’t.

 

He was a raider and she was his slave. Pretty words wouldn’t change that.

 

He slid an arm around her hip and pulled her against his side, though he continued to talk to Harvey as if nothing had changed. “You know as well as anyone that I’m not there a lot of the time. She’ll need other people she can talk to if there’s a problem, and I don’t think she’s gonna be running to any of the raiders for help. You’ll look out for her, won’t you?”

 

Harvey nodded, eyes wide. “Course Overboss. Anything you say.”

 

Colter kept his fingers over Nora’s hip as they walked, the touch too close for her to be able to relax. They stopped by the rest of the market, where she learned what each trader sold and how to put things on his tab. He showed her the diner, a few other buildings, before they ended up back at his place.

 

Not theirs.

 

His.

 

He’d yet to remove his hand from her, his large arm wrapped around her, keeping her against him. The touch reminded her of how Nate and she would walk together, pressed right together, on the dates that happened prior to Shaun. But, he wasn't Nate, and Nate hadn't had to dig his fingers into her hip to hold her there.

 

He turned his head so he could speak quietly, to her ear. “Relax, would you?”

 

“I don’t like when you touch me.”

 

“I noticed.” He sighed and released her. “When we are in public, you have to behave properly. No slave would put distance between her and her master, at least not one broken, and trust me, you don’t want anyone to break you. They expect me to be fucking you, for me to treat you like a slave. You would do well to behave as such.”

 

“Don’t you treat me like a slave?”

 

He shrugged as he sat in a chair by the table, leaning forward to remove his boots. “Not as much as others would. I let you have your free time, don’t ask you to do too much, don’t required you to be silent, don't expect you to have sex with me. You know, some people don’t ever let their slaves talk, or they keep them chained up to the bed. So, yeah, you have it pretty good and should probably be pretty fucking grateful to me for it. When we’re out there, though, I don’t want people thinking you’re fair game, or that I’m pussy whipped.”

 

“Why don’t you do that?”

 

He paused after removing his other boot, eyebrow lifting. “Why don’t I chain you to my bed and rape you? You seriously asking me that?”

 

“Yes, I’m asking. You aren’t some innocent farmer even if you like to pretend you’re different from every other raider here. You’re Overboss here, and that means you’re worse than any of the others here. So why don’t you do that to me? Why try to pretend like this is something other than what it is. You like to walk us around like we're a couple, have me cook you dinner like the little wife at home, but we aren't like that. So why not take it one step further and do what we both know you want to.”

 

He leaned his forearms onto his knees as he stared at her, eyes hard. “Look, I don’t like this slave bullshit, okay? However, it’s part of life here, and if I don’t have one, the gangs are gonna get nervous and suspicious. Nervous and suspicious for raiders means they’ll start killing. So that’s why I picked up one for myself, and it’s why I’m willing to give you a really long leash, a leash that you’re getting real close to strangling yourself with, by the way.”

 

“If you don’t want a slave, just let me go.”

 

“Can’t do that. For one, you’re mine. Losing you would make me look weak. For two? Be honest, how long did it take a raider to pick you up? I saw your skin, you don’t have a scar on you. Those hands of yours don’t show anything that implies you’ve ever really worked. No callus’s, no cuts on the knuckles. If I had to guess, I’d say you’re from a vault. So, dove, how long did it take before someone threw you into a cage?”

 

She refused to back down, refused to give in. Maybe she could push him, and he’d let her go. He’d said he didn’t want to have a slave, maybe he’d cave. “Twelve hours. I was out of the vault for twelve hours before your people picked me up.”

 

“Figured as much. So you make it twelve hours on your own, and you’re asking me to let you go running back out there. Without me, you’d either end up dead, right back here, or chained to a bed. When you’re all cleaned up, you’re pretty much any man’s wet dream. You really think you’ll luck out again and find someone like me? Someone who won’t pry those thighs of yours apart?”

 

His words stole the breath from Nora. She knew that happened, wasn’t foolish enough to believe she’d be safe from it, but still, to hear it from him? It was one thing to know something in theory, and another to have someone explain it to you.

 

“You could tell them to leave me alone.”

 

“I could, sure, but even if I wanted to, that would only save you from my people. We aren’t the only players in this game. Anyone would take one look at you and be in those pants before you could scream. Wouldn’t even have to be raiders making you into a slave, could be anyone.”

 

And there went her knees. The world closed in on her, all the ugliness this new world had become, a world where men like Colter ruled and men like Nate died. A world where being caught and raped was an expectation rather then some distant horror story used to scare girls into not walking home alone at night. 

 

Her chest froze, her lungs turning to concrete. Everything spaced out around her as she focused on trying to ease the pressure that kept her from breathing, even as her anxiety spun out of control. All she could think about were his words and every risk he’d mentioned. They played in her head, over and over again, and for a moment she was there, in that hell.

 

“Ah, fuck.” Colter’s voice sounded miles away, like he called out through a couple panes of glass. He hauled her up, off the ground, and against his chest. “Stop fighting me, dove.”

 

She shoved at his chest, even as she struggled to force air into her lungs, her head going fuzzy, like her thoughts had to wade through mud. He wasn’t better than the men in her head, just another person wanting to use her up, one making empty promises.

 

He dropped her onto the bed, then set a hand behind her neck.

 

This was it. He’d drop his pants and shove himself into her mouth. Could it be any worse than right then? She couldn’t breathe anyway.

 

Instead, he pushed her head down, between her knees. “Fucking breathe, already.” He reached in with the hand not on the back of her neck and pinched her side, hard.

 

The sharp pain caused her to gasp in a breath, shuddering hard. He didn’t move, kept her pinned there until her breathing slowed.

 

He crouched down and captured her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I don’t lie, Nora, and I’m not going to lie to you about what the world is like. If I let you go, that’s the future you’re looking at. Just thinking about it drives you into panic attacks, so how do you think you’ll fare trying to live through it? Whether you believe it or not, my collar is the best thing to happen to you.”

 

“I don’t care. Let me go, please.”

 

Colter shook his head. “No. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. Don’t ask me about it again, Nora. Now, lie down.”

 

“I want to sleep on the couch.”

 

“Tonight? I don’t really care what you want. You’re in fight or flight and you aren’t about to fight me. Last thing I want is to wake up and find out you’re half way to Diamond City, or that you got yourself eaten by bloodworms or a deathclaw. You will sleep here, where I can keep an eye on you.”

 

Nora was too damned tired to fight. She scooted over to the far side, then laid down, her back to him. The rustle of clothing as he undressed scraped across her nerves, and then the bed dipped down behind her after he turned off the lights. She trembled, despite how she tried to stop it, to hold it together. 

 

“Hush, dove.” He rubbed her back while she shook and cried and finally wore herself down enough to fall asleep.

 

#

 

Colter released a soft sigh when her shoulders eased. Her breath still hitched, the crying seeming to go on even as she slept.

 

Fuck, he almost wished he could let her go. That crying shit? The panic shit? That got to him.

 

He’d been her, so damned long ago, when his first raider outfit took him in. Ignorant in the world, still believing shit went the right way because you were a good person, but he’d figured it out. She would, too, and thanks to him, she wouldn’t have to learn it the way he had, through blood and pain.

 

Those days, that first year when Initiate meant nothing more than slave did now, he’d lived through what happened when you were weak. He’d survived the powerful until he became them. He’d learned, and he’d grown, and he’d toughened up, and it got him where he was now, turning him into who he was now. A man who would do anything to be on top, because losing was too bloody painful.

 

Before the memories threatened to come back to him, he shoved his own past away. He wasn’t that weak piece of shit anymore.

 

He hadn’t been kidding, either. She was safest owned by him. He was strong enough to keep her safe, something she clearly required. If he let her go, she’d be dead, if she was lucky, in a month at most.

 

Which had him more uneasy that he’d expected the idea to.

 

In fact, could she even use a gun? Could she shoot? A lot of vault dwellers had no idea how to care for themselves when they got out into the real world.

 

Maybe he’d start setting up some basic survivor lessons for her. Nothing too much, he didn’t plan on her needing them, but he’d rest easier to know she could at least handle a rifle. That way, if she needed it, she'd have a shot at staying alive. 

 

The idea had him relaxing, along with the soft breathing of the woman beside him, until he drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

Nate’s snoring had Nora smiling. He always snored, something she hated but missed whenever he was deployed. Despite all the complaining she did, the silence of a room made sleeping difficult anymore. She tightened her grip around him, nuzzling her cheek against his chest where she curled against him, unwilling to wake up and face the day.

 

Shaun was still asleep, and that happened so rarely, she didn’t want to waste it. Ever since having him, Nora’s private time with Nate had slipped away. Shaun needed care, waking through the night, and when she did drag herself into bed, they were both too tired. She hadn't been cleared for sex, but that hadn't stopped them. 

 

She tilted her head and pressed kisses to his chest, up to his throat, while she threw a leg across his waist. Sure enough, his erection pressed into her thigh and she ground against it.

 

Something was off, Nate’s body larger than it had been, but she pushed that away. It didn’t seem like it mattered enough. She needed Nate, needed to feel him, to hold him. Nora had always been the sort of person who craved affection, who craved touch. Some thought of it as needy, but Nate had always understood, always been willing to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. She saw him all the time, so where did this bone-deep need come from? She felt like she hadn’t seen him in months, so she ignored the concerns.

 

She scraped her teeth across his throat, then used her tongue to soothe the burn. “Morning, Nate. Maybe I can tempt you into staying in bed with me a while? I promise not to make you too late for work, and even if you are? I promise to make it worth it." 

 

His hips bucked up once, then stilled, a deep, sleepy groan, too deep for her husband, filling the silence. “Hey now, dove, wake up.”

 

Dove? The accent threw her, too.

 

She opened her eyes, brows drawn together, to meet the gaze of a man who was not her husband. She wasn’t in bed with Nate.

 

Nate was dead and this was Colter, a raider who owned her.

 

Nora scrambled backward, out of the bed, until her back was against the wall beside the door.

 

Colter sat up, groaning and adjusting the clear erection that showed. Nothing could hide it since he only wore underwear, and he didn’t seem in a hurry to hide it, either. He hadn’t tried to frighten her, hadn’t pushed himself on her, but he also didn’t hide his body, his strength, or his size from her. “Nate, huh?”

 

She didn’t answer, wanting nothing more than to bathe. How could she have done that? Touching Colter like that, even by accident, was wrong enough, but to dirty what she and Nate had had, to let this world infect it? That was unforgiveable. How could she have forgotten where she was? How could she have forgotten everything she'd lost, even when asleep?

 

“You got a husband back in that vault, waiting for you?”

 

She bit back the sharp replies that came to mind. Yes, he was back in the vault, but he wasn’t waiting for anything, not anymore. “None of your business.”

 

“Wrong answer. Try again.”

 

Instead of answering, she asked him a question, not wanting to give him any of her past. He owned her future; he didn’t deserve her past. “Would it matter if I did? Would you let me go if I you knew he was waiting for me?”

 

At least Colter had the decency to consider it. He moved over so his feet hit the floor, and he sat on the edge of the bed. Nora kept her gaze on his face. The day had been bad enough without seeing anymore of him than she had to. This morning had been too much already, she didn’t need to see more, didn’t need to risk wanting anything more.

 

“No. He couldn’t keep you safe the first time, so why would I expect him to this time? Not to mention, you left that vault, and he let you go alone. Whoever Nate is, he didn’t do his fucking job since you ended up here. If you were mine back then, you’d never have ended up in this position.” Colter reached over for a pair of pants, pulling them on but leaving them undone. They hung low on his hips. He crossed the room to her and grabbed her chin so she looked at him. “I’ll let you send a letter. It can’t tell him where you are, or who we are, because I don’t need trouble being rained down on us. However, I’ll let you send him something. Tell him you’re happy, or tell him you aren’t, or tell him you’re dying and you just wanted to say goodbye. Or tell him nothing, up to you. I’ll have someone deliver it to wherever he is. Man shouldn’t have to wait for a woman who won’t ever be coming back.”

 

Nora released a soft breath, eyes sliding closed. “There’s no point. Nate is dead.” Her voice broke. It was the first time she’d said it, the first time she’d admitted it out loud. She hadn’t even told Codsworth because she knew the words would hurt too damned much. And Shaun was still missing, and Nora was starting to doubt she’d ever find him.

 

She couldn’t even take care of herself, so why would she ever think she could take care of a child? She should have died in that vault, and Nate should be alive. He could have survived out here, could have thrived, would have found Shaun. 

 

Colter’s other hand stroked over Nora’s cheek, the gentle touch so unlike what she expected that she flinched. He didn’t let go, didn’t stop, like petting a nervous dog. “I’m sorry he’s dead. Recent, I’m guessing, based on the way you trip over the words.”

 

Nora hated herself for it, but she leaned into the touch after nodding. She hadn’t seen much kindness since waking up, much softness in this new world, and even if it was wrong, she couldn’t give this up. She nuzzled against his hand, eyes closed tight so she didn’t have to see his face, didn’t have to remember where she was, or the collar at her throat, or the man who touched her, the man who frightened her more than any man ever had.

 

#

 

The way Nora leaned into the touch had Colter almost pulling back. As if the way she’d rubbed against him that morning, the sweet press of her lips that had roused him, hadn’t been enough to throw him off balance, this was.

 

The poor woman was starving for affection.

 

How long ago had her husband died? How had he died? Was he a vault dweller, too? Had to be, since she’d barely been out of the vault when she’d been caught.

 

Too many questions, and he knew she wasn’t gonna answer any of them. So instead, he put one arm behind her and pulled her into a tight hug, savoring the way she melded against him, all soft curves that flattened against him.

 

Her hands wrapped around him, tiny nails digging into the muscles in his back hard enough it stung. Hell, might have drawn blood. She soaked up the warmth, the touch, like she was dying for it.

 

After a moment, as if she woke up, she pulled away and refused to meet his gaze anymore.

 

Fine by him, she made him question his whole ‘I don’t fuck slaves’ rule. If she’d been awake and rubbing up against him like that? Hell, he wasn’t sure any man would have had the strength to turn her away.

 

Instead, she retreated to her dresser to pick out clothing.

 

“Got things to do today, dove. However, I expect you to straighten up around here. Instead of making dinner, I want you to meet me outside the gates.”

 

“Why?” She clutched her clothing to her chest, knuckles white.

 

“Because we’re gonna work on your survival skills a bit. Figured you could use the practice. I want you there, dressed to get dirty, just before lunch time. Then you’ll head back here and I’ll pick something up from the diner for dinner. Figure you’ll be too worn out to cook.”

 

Nora didn’t answer, gaze on the floor.

 

“I expect answers when I talk to you. I don’t ask you for much, but I said before, I need to know you understand what I expect. I refuse to punish people for things they didn’t know they did wrong. There’s no point, then.” How many times was he going to have to tell her that?

 

“Yes, sir, I understand. I’ll be there.” Sir, again. Always back to sir.

 

Still, he’d hated his name on her lips when he’d forced her, so he’d wait. Demanding it was like trying to eat rotten food. No matter how hungry you were, it’d just make you sick.

 

“Good. See you in a few hours.”

 

The strangest urge to grab her and pull her in for a kiss took over him, so much that he almost did it, almost wrapped his fingers around that slave collar and pulled her close. He wanted to fit his mouth against hers, to taste her, to claim her.

 

But that was insane.

 

He shook his head to clear it before storming out of his quarters, ignoring her before he did something they’d both regret.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Nora walked with soft steps as she left the lift. It was her first time venturing out on her own, and if she thought she could get away with it, she’d have run back to Colter’s quarters and hidden until she returned that evening.

 

But he had been tolerable so far, and she didn’t want to see him angry. She hadn’t outright defied him, hadn’t seen what he meant when he’d mentioned punishment, and she really didn’t want to know any of that.

 

The idea of what he could do terrified her. He was large and strong, and he wasn’t in charge because he was sweet. If he wanted to hurt her, he’d hardly have to try to manage it, and he'd threatened her with punishment enough times. 

 

So she’d braided her hair back and braved the open space.

 

At the ground level, Gage stood, arms over his chest, as intimidating now as he had been when he’d walking into the slave quarters to get her that first night. “Figured you could use some help to find your way.” The words didn’t roll from his lips as help, but more as a threat.

 

“Thank you,” she said, dropping her gaze.

 

“Colter wants you to meet him out front. This way.” He nodded once before walking, and she jogged a few steps to keep up. “So, how ya liking it here?”

 

She schooled her features to not give away the eye roll that threatened. How did she like it there? As a slave? Was that really a question? She answered as she expected he wanted to hear. “It’s fine.”

 

“Yeah? Colter doesn’t normally fuck slaves, but I seen those he does fuck, and I gotta say, don’t think you’d survive it. You’re pretty fucking soft, and he ain’t.” His gaze roamed over her, less lust and more consideration, and that was almost more frightening. “You still walking this good means he ain’t fucked you, not yet. He will, though. No one would keep you so close and not get into your cunt.”

 

She tripped over a rock at his words, and only him reaching out and snatching her arm kept her from face planting into the dirt. The force swung her over and against his chest. She expected him to release her, but he didn’t.

 

He stared down at her. “Then again, if you had any brains, you'd use that to your advantage. Get yourself a cushy life, a master who dotes on you, all that bullshit. Just gotta learn to use what's between your legs. Not that you'll have a choice, because when you least expect it, he’ll decide he’s sick of turning down fucking deathclaw steak that’s right in front of him. When he’s done with you, come see me, huh?”

 

“You’ll help me?”

 

“Sort of. I’ll give ya some med-x and take a turn myself.” His lips curved up into a grin that turned her stomach.

 

Nora wanted to shove away but held still instead. This was the game she had to play, the one where she got to keep breathing to play again tomorrow. Sure, she could hiss and spit and curse, but that wasn’t going to save her, and it wasn’t going to save Shaun. If Nate had just played along, maybe he’d have been alive, too. Maybe he could have been there, and they could have saved Shaun.

 

So instead of fighting, Nora only stared up at Gage.

 

He laughed, like the lack of reaction charmed him, before releasing her. “Yeah, make sure you come see me, honey. Can’t wait to give you a try.”

 

“I’m Colter’s. He doesn't strike me as the sort to share,” Nora said, unable to stop the words that she knew were unwise. Unwise because arguing with a raider was foolish, and painful because it was admitting something she didn’t want to admit. Still, Colter has said she wasn’t community property, and as much as she disliked him, his protection could help keep her alive.

 

“Yeah, you are, but guess what? I don’t mind borrowing other people’s toys behind their backs, and when I do? You’ll be a good girl and keep that pretty mouth shut, because one bullet could end you and with all the raiders here? No one would know or care who did it. Besides, if one master gives you perks, imagine what two would give you. See, Colter? He's tough, but he's stupid. I can give you a hell of a lot more. Come on, tell me you understand me.”

 

“I understand you.”

 

The eyebrow of his good eye cocked up.

 

Nora swallowed before saying what she knew he wanted to hear. “I understand, sir.”

 

“There’s a good girl.”

 

#

 

Colter checked over the rifle he’d brought. It was underpowered, just a simple pipe rifle, but it would be good for a first lesson. He hadn’t planned on much gun work, just enough so she could shoot one if she needed to, but slaves weren’t allowed guns.

 

She’d be better off to learn a little self-defense, instead.

 

And the idea of touching her? Of running his hands over her as he taught her? Yeah, he’d be a liar if he said that hadn’t occurred to him. So it was cheap and creepy and stupid. He fucking owned her, and yet he hid the desire to touch her under some stupid lesson.

 

Not that she didn’t need the lesson. She did, and he didn’t trust any of these raiders enough to do it, which meant he had to.

 

And if he enjoyed it? Well, too fucking bad.

 

Nora walked out, face pale, beside Gage.

 

Yeah, she needed to toughen up. Just walking beside a raider got the woman’s anxiety soaring, so how was she going to live among them?

 

And she was going to live among them. Waking up to her beside him, having her waiting for him when he got back, well he’d grown to like it. Maybe, in a perfect world, where he was a better man, he’d find himself a wife. A good woman who wanted him, who waited for him, who patched him up when he got hurt and fucked at night like she couldn’t breathe without him. With his life the way it was, though, that wasn’t in the cards.

 

He’d settle for a slave who didn’t want him, but would at least be forced to spend time with him, and in return she’d want for nothing, always be safe.

 

Seemed fair.

 

“Right on time,” Colter said. “Thanks, Gage. I’ve got it from here.”

 

Gage nodded and headed back into Nuka World.

 

“You ever shoot a gun, dove?” He already knew the answer, what with the way her gaze was locked on the rifle he held.

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Figured as much. It isn’t that hard, really. We aren’t going to spend much time on it, since you won’t be allowed a gun here, but I want you to have a basic idea.”

 

She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut.

 

“What? Speak up and tell me what you were going to say.”

 

“Why waste time teaching me how to shoot?”

 

“Because I’m not with you every second. Training you in a good slave is going to take a lot of my time and effort, and I’d rather not lose that because you get yourself killed.”

 

She frowned, but accepted the statement.

 

“Come on over here. We won’t work on aim today, I’ll just teach you to fire it.” He held a hand out to her, and for a moment he thought she’d refuse.

 

After a long moment, she placed her hand in his, and he pulled her forward. He moved her until her back pressed against his chest, body against his. She froze, but didn’t resist as he moved her hands and pressed the butt of the rifle to her shoulder. He set her hands into place, his settling over hers.

 

He did it both to guide her and make sure she didn’t take the gun and shoot him.

 

Not that he suspected she would, but one slave trying to kill him had been enough.

 

He spoke into her ear as he explained how to line up the shot, how to hold it, how to pull the trigger. Keep the butt against your shoulder, he repeated, or it would kick back and she’d be sorry when she ended up bruised.

 

The bullet tore from the barrel and knocked over the glass bottle he’d set up. He took the rifle away from her and stepped back, giving her room. “Nice work. Maybe we’ll see about setting up some time for you to practice.” He tossed the rifle onto the table he’d set up. “But that’s less important than basic self-defense. See, you won’t have access to guns, not unless everything goes to shit in a riot or something. Otherwise? You’ll be unarmed.”

 

“You’re just using this as an excuse to hurt me.”

 

Colter couldn’t help the laugh he released, even though he knew it wouldn’t make her feel any better. “If I wanted to beat on you, I could do it in the middle of Nuka World with everyone watching, hell, cheering. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re my slave. I don’t need an excuse to hurt you.”

 

There went her color again, washing away, but at least this time her breathing stayed normal. Progress, he guessed.

 

Instead of pressing the issue, he kept talking. “Now, given your size and strength, I’m going to guess you’re a runner. This means that when you can, run. Most of the raiders here outweigh you by fifty pounds or more, and it means if you needed to, you could outrun most people. If you’re forced to fight, fight dirty. Honor is bullshit if it gets you killed.”

 

“I don’t want to fight.”

 

“That’s too bad. That’s what life is, it’s scratching and biting to make it to one more day when you can do it all again.” He let his gaze wander over her, trying to look at her in a professional way instead of noting the way her top rode up and exposed a strip of skin at her waist. “You have tiny fucking arms and legs, dove, which means you need to watch out on reach. I can hit you before you ever get close enough to hit me back, so stay out of range. Your speed is going to be your biggest asset.”

 

“I understand. Are we done?”

 

“Fighting is something you learn by doing, not by talking. Attack me, and we’ll see how it goes.”

 

“I’m not going to attack you.”

 

“You will. That wasn’t a request, and it wasn’t something you can say no to. If you refuse, I’ll attack you, and I can promise, it will be much worse. But, I’m all for positive reinforcement. Let’s make a deal. You draw my blood, I’ll give you something. What do you want?” He lifted a finger when she opened her mouth. “I’m not going to let you go.”

 

Nora closed her mouth, gaze drifting off. Finally, she answered, something that surprised him. “I want a job.”

 

“A job?”

 

She nodded. “Yes. I was a doctor before, I helped people. I don’t like it here, but if I have to be here, I want to do something important. You have hundreds of people here and a single doctor. That’s not enough, and the night you got stabbed proves it.”

 

Colter laughed softly. “So you’re saying if you can make me bleed, you want to work?”

 

She nodded, eyes so damned wide and honest.

 

“Fair enough. However, there will be limits. You’ll only do a few hours a day, and it can’t interfere with what I expect from you.”

 

“Deal.”

 

Colter held up a hand. “Wait a minute. A deal means there’s opportunity on both sides. If you can’t make me bleed, that means I should get something from you.”

 

“As you’ve already said, you own me. You can do whatever you want, so what’s there to win?”

 

That was true. In fact, a part of him was annoyed at bargaining at all. Still, if some bargaining made it easier to deal with her? Seemed worth it. “I want you to eat meals with me, at the table. I could force you to, but I haven’t yet. Agree that you’ll sit with me from now on without a fight.”

 

She swallowed hard, but the desire to work must have mattered to her, because she nodded. “Deal.”

 

He shook his head at the foolishness of the choice. He was a raider, a man who had been fighting his entire adult life. He’d trained as a kid, learning from his father, and later he’d had to put the skills to use to keep him alive.

 

Some soft vault dweller wasn’t going to be drawing blood.

 

Nora shook her hands and bounced softly on the balls of her feet, like she was preparing. It was fucking adorable, if he had to admit it. After a moment, she charged him.

 

Colter caught her arm and pulled, throwing her off balance so she fell into the dirt. When she stood, the knee of one pant leg was ripped open, and scrapes showed on the skin beneath.

 

Still, she charged again, the same way, rewarded with the same response. This time she rose slower, wincing.

 

When she came at him a third time, she ducked to the left, avoiding the grab. Smart woman was learning. At least he knew she could learn. Still, he stuck an arm out, caught her waist, and twisted her so her back pressed against his front and his forearm against her throat.

 

From his vantage point, he could stare down at the pounding of her chest, and see the line of cleavage from where her tank top had pulled down. He leaned down to whisper. “I explained about reach, didn’t I? If an enemy gets his arms around you, you’re done for.”

 

“Are you going to help or just taunt me?”

 

“Both, I think. If you’re here, go for the easy things. If they’re in soft shoes, stomping on a foot works. If not, driving your elbow into their side works. You’re fucking tiny, which means you block less of their body.”

 

She lifted her foot and stomped down, but his boots stopped the strike so he didn’t feel it. He chuckled at the frustrated sound that escaped her throat.

 

At least he did until her elbow drove into his side. He hadn’t expected her to try it, and he paid the price with a grunt at the impact, his grip loosening enough for her to pull away.

 

He expected her to pull back, to rethink an attack, but leave it to her to surprise him. She swung her hand up, toward his face in a messy strike, aiming for his nose.

 

Smart movie. Break the nose and she was assured some blood.

 

He twisted, the strike glancing off his cheek instead, before deciding to end the game. He didn’t like to lose, and she was proving herself capable of winning. He shot a hand out and grasped her throat, slamming her down into the dirt.

 

Her breath came out in a hard rush before she began to cough, both from the strike and the dust she’d kicked up.

 

Colter held her still. “Game’s over.”

 

“I could have won,” she wheezed out.

 

“That’s why I cut the game short. Give you enough time, and you could have.”

 

“Do you always cheat?”

 

He leaned in, so close her breath warmed his lips. “Of course. Everyone cheats, everyone rigs the game so they win, and anyone who doesn’t gets trampled. Before you get self-righteous, remember which one of us is in a collar in the dirt and which one of us just won.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

Nora held her bowl of food, the noodles Colter had bought for her. His included meat of some sort, but he’d ordered hers without meat.

 

She refused to think kindly about it. Her affection couldn’t be bought with cheap offers.

 

“Sit.” Colter nodded at the seat across from her. When she didn’t move, he turned his head to nail her with a hard glare. “We made a deal, Nora. Sit, now.”

 

They had made a deal, and despite him altering the rules so he could win, she needed to earn his trust. Nora moved over and took the seat across from him, setting the bowl down and keeping her eyes on it.

 

“Why is this so hard? We’re sharing a meal, not screwing.”

 

Nora took her fork and wrapped noodled around it, though she didn’t eat them. “Screwing might be easier.” She drew her eyebrows together before muttering quietly, “Maybe not if Gage was right about how you have sex.”

 

“Don’t mutter, I have very good hearing. I’ll talk to Gage about sharing information you don’t need, and the way I have sex is one of them. Now, explain to me why sitting at a table with me is so terrible, because you didn’t fight me this hard when you got into my bed. So, explain it to me, now. That isn’t a request.”

 

Nora set her fork down without taking a bite. Her appetite dried up. “The last time I ate a meal with anyone was with my husband. We would sit around the table, just like this, and eat. Eating with you is tainting it, it’s taking that memory, that time I had with my husband, and burning it.”

 

Colter set his arm on the table, leaning in toward Nora. “Am I so terrible?” The question came out softer than she'd expected, as if he really wasn't sure the answer.

 

She lifted her gaze at that. “You’re going to ask me that? Your people captured me, put a slave collar on me, and took me away from my home, from my life, from everything I was doing. You decided you own me, threaten to punish me, refuse to free me, and you really are going to sit there and ask me if you’re terrible? You’re a monster. You take whatever you want and don’t care who it hurts. So, no, I don’t really want to replace the memory of my loving husband with you, a raider.”

 

Colter narrowed his eyes, a challenge in them. “Loving husband, huh? Those don’t exist. Bet you he was fucking his way through your vault whenever your back was turned. He was probably exactly like me, just enough of a coward to try to hide it.”

 

“You don’t know a thing about him.”

 

“Oh yeah? Then tell me, please. Tell me all about this perfect husband of yours.”

 

She shoved her food off the table, and neither turned their head to see it shatter against the floor. “You want to know about Nate? He wasn’t perfect, but he loved me. He was good to me, respected me, cared about me. He’d never have tried to control me, never tried to own me. He was nothing like you.”

 

Colter reached out and curled his fingers around her slave collar, pulling her forward, so she had to lean over the table. “Those are strong words. Stupid words, too, considering that fact your precious Nate is dead. He couldn’t keep you safe, could he? Couldn’t even keep himself safe. So, no matter how much you hiss and bitch at me, he’s dead and I’m still standing, and I’m all that’s standing between you and every bad thing in this world that would destroy you.”

 

She opened her mouth, but Colter yanked once at her collar.

 

“I don’t want to hear about Nate anymore, not another word. Now, clean up the mess you made and get into bed. I’m tired of arguing with my slave.”

 

Nora pressed her lips together for a moment before nodding. “Yes, sir.”

 

Colter opened him mouth as if he was going to say something, but snapped them shut. His lips curled in an unhappy snarl before pulling his hand away and standing up, his chair knocking backwards and striking the floor.

 

That annoyance on his face? That pain? Nora had gotten beneath his skin.

 

Maybe it didn’t hurt him as much as he’d hurt her, but it was a start.

 

She could learn.

 

#

 

Guilt wasn’t something Colter knew much about. Do as many things as he had and guilt became this tiny annoyance, like a bug bite, that you mostly ignored.

 

At least, that’s how it usually was. That morning? That morning it was more like a mutt sized bite, right out of his ass.

 

Nora hadn’t spoken to him that morning, no matter how much he prodded at her. She’d respond with single, simple responses when he demanded them, but nothing more. He’d gotten a morning of “Yes, sir.” “No, sir.” “Whatever you want, sir.”

 

The bitch knew exactly what she was up to. No way to miss the hardness of her gaze. Times like that he had to admit, women were lot more vicious than given credit for. She couldn’t stab him, couldn’t do shit to him, but she could withhold what she knew he wanted to punish him.

 

“What’s crawled up your ass?” Gage grabbed Colter’s arm just outside of the Pack territory. “You’ve been angrier than usual, and you ain’t known for being a happy person normally.”

 

“Nora-“

 

“-your slave?”

 

Colter grit his teeth at the term from Gage. Yeah, he called her a slave, but hearing it from Gage had him ready to deck the man. Instead, he nodded. “Yeah, her. It’s just that we, well, fuck, don’t worry about it.”

 

Gage removed his hand from Colter’s arm, lips pressed together. “Don’t start thinking with your dick, huh? No reason a slave should get you wound up like this. If she ain’t behaving, teach her to behave. You need some help? Send her to Mason for a few days; he’ll have her heeling in no time.”

 

The idea of the raider boss touching her had him reaching for his pistol.

 

“Whoa now, boss. Just a suggestion.” Gage drug his hand over his mohawk. “Look, you need to fix this, yeah? That slave of yours is getting you way to riled up. Last thing you want is a weakness like that.”

 

Colter shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. She’s not a problem.”

 

At least she wouldn't be, soon. Colter knew exactly how to get back into Nora’s good graces, and he’d always been fine with playing dirty if he had to.

 

#

 

Nora straightened her back as the lift started up. It was far too early for Colter to be back for the night, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t return.

 

He liked to pop in, and she’d annoyed him enough that morning, he might do it just as payback.

 

The way the lines of tension in his face has deepened each time she’d offered a simple, expected answer, calling him sir, they’d soothed her. She had weapons, and while they might not be blades or guns, they struck deep.

 

It made her think about him in a different way. He wanted affection, her affection. He craved it, even if he wouldn’t admit it. He wanted to play house with her, and that’s something she could use to her advantage, and she really needed an advantage.

 

When the lift reached the top, however, it wasn’t Colter.

 

“Hey, Nora.” Mackenzie stepped off the lift, a smile on her lips.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m here to get you.”

 

“Get me? For what?”

 

She frowned. “To work. Colter said you had some medical training and that you were going to be working a few hours a day with me. Did he not tell you?”

 

Nora let out a soft snort. “No, he didn’t tell me.”

 

She followed Mackenzie down, trying to shove aside whatever it was she thought about this. Colter had changed his mind, allowing her to work despite her losing the challenge.

 

Was it because she was punishing him? Did he feel bad about the things he’d said? Did he just want her to be happy? Was it just an attempt to manipulate her?

 

Whatever it was, it was the first time she’d felt like she could win whatever this was, like she could survive this.

 

She wasn’t as powerless as he liked to make her think.

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

Nora frowned as she looked over the tiny clinic space Mackenzie had set up. Everything was so dirty, a far cry from what she’d become used to before the war. “How do people not die of infection?”

 

Mackenzie shrugged. “We clean the wounds as well as we can, and we use a lot of stimpacks. I’d love for things to be cleaner, but in case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a theme park. I do the best I can with what I have.”

 

Nora took a step backward. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry, I just, I came from a long ways away. Things are very different here. You’ve done amazing, I mean, I can’t imagine trying to keep people alive without all the things I’m used to.”

 

Mackenzie took a seat by the table, in front of where the small clinic was set up. “What are you used to? I didn’t figure things were that different anywhere else.”

 

Nora sat in the other seat. “Well, we had reliable power, for one. We had sterilized rooms for operations, proper diagnostic tools like x-rays and MRI machines. We had specialists for almost everything.”

 

“I can’t believe a vault would have all that. Don’t look at me like that, it was mentioned that you were caught wearing a vault suit, not to mention you sort of stick out here. It's obvious you aren't from around here.”

 

Nora shrugged, letting her feet swing beneath her. “I came from a vault, sort of, but that wasn’t where I was a doctor.”

 

“Then where would have all that technology?”

 

“Not so much where as when. I was frozen for a bit over two hundred years.”

 

“So you’re pre-war?”

 

Nora thought back to the way the sky had lit up, casting that orange glow. Nate had clutched Shaun to his chest, twisting his body to shield Shaun from the blast as dust and heat struck them while the elevator descended.

 

A hand touched Nora’s arm and she jerked backward before realizing, it was just Mackenzie.

 

“Sorry,” Nora said, voice shaky.

 

“It’s okay. No one loses what you must have lost and comes out the other end the same. You went from a life before all this to a life in chains. No one would blame you for having trouble adapting.”

 

Nora swallowed and shoved down the memories. “How do you do it? How do you survive as a slave? I wake up wanting to scream and I’ve been doing this for only a few days.”

 

Mackenzie shrugged. “I think you just grow used to it. You learn how to play the game, how to stay alive and out of the raiders’ way. We try to stick together, the slaves, try to help each other out. I know it’s a hard adjustment, but hang in there.”

 

“Hang in there for what? What’s the point of it?”

 

Mackenzie reached out and grasped Nora’s hand in a tight squeeze, nailing her with a loaded look. “Hang in there, Nora. Just for a while longer.”

 

#

 

Nora sat at the table, frowning at Colter’s absence. So far, he’d been prompt for dinner, there every night at nine. She missed her pipboy, even though she hadn’t had it long. The raiders had pulled it off her, along with her vault suit, when they’d taken her, but that clock had been useful.

 

Still, the clock on the dresser read 9:48, and there was no sign of him.

 

Had something happened? The park seemed quiet, the same low levels of violence that always hung in the air. It meant he couldn’t have been killed. If he had, her protection would have been gone, and someone would have been up there to claim her already.

 

Nora had traveled so deep into her own head, she didn’t notice the lift until it reached the top, Colter on it.

 

She smiled and stood before she could stop herself. The moment she took a step toward him, though, she realized what she’d done and froze.

 

Stupid.

 

It was just that she was happy with the devil she knew, she told herself.

 

Colter noticed the action, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he walked toward the table, stiff and slow.

 

She wanted to ask if he was okay, but the words wouldn’t come.

 

Instead, they both sat and began to eat in silence.

 

After ten minutes, Colter spoke. “You still pissed at me?”

 

“Why did you let me have that job?”

 

He didn’t answer right away, taking a slow bite of his food, first. “I said some shit I shouldn’t have said, okay? Shouldn’t have said anything about Nate, that was low, even for me. I just. . . I didn’t like the way you compared us, and the way you saw me so damned lacking. I know this isn’t easy for you, all this change, wouldn’t be easy on anyone, and I haven’t made it any easier.”

 

The words had Nora setting her fork down to study the raider in front of her, the one she didn’t know much about. His words sounded sincere, and if there was one thing he’d prove true, it was that he didn’t lie. Did he really feel bad?

 

“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped.

 

Nora’s gaze jerked back down to her food.

 

A soft sigh. “Sorry. Look, I’m not used to this, okay? Haven’t lived with anyone or had anyone this close in a long damned time. As stupid as it sounds, this is the closest fucking thing to a relationship I’ve had ever. It isn’t what you want, I know that, but it’s what we both ended up with. Just trying to make it all a little easier.”

 

Nora kept her gaze down as she listened. It wasn’t anything other than what she expected. He’d seemed lonely, like he’d latched onto the first thing he could, which happened to be her. She wasn’t sure if it was her background as a doctor, but she found the idea of kicking him when he was down too vicious, especially when he shifted in the seat and winced.

 

“Did you get hurt?”

 

He laughed. “Ah, dove. I’m a raider. We’re always hurt. Nothing to worry about, though. Didn’t even need to call you to sew me up this time.”

 

Nora stood and moved beside him. She grasped his chin to tilt his head in the same manner he often grabbed her.

 

His gaze narrowed like he wanted to argue, before softened like the idea of her taking care of him was worth the annoyance of her manhandling him.

 

A few bruises to his face, but nothing deep. The light hardly made them stand out.

 

She chest his throat, next, before grasping the bottom of his shirt.

 

Colter grabbed her hands. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

 

“I’m a doctor. I just want to make sure you aren’t hurt.”

 

“Yeah? You worried about me?” He frowned at whatever showed on her face. “You were worried, weren’t you? Well fuck, dove, why is that?”

 

“If you die, I’m on my own.”

 

“That it? Simple self-preservation? That’s more practical than you usually are.”

 

Nora pressed her lips together for a moment. She told herself she was doing this to get him to trust her. If she was going to escape, he needed to trust her. She needed him to length that leash of hers until she could find a way out, until whatever Mackenzie planned could happen. He wanted her to want him, to like him, and playing that way would not only make her life easier, but afford her opportunities.

 

 And the part she didn’t want to admit to?

 

That she wanted to make sure he was okay because he was all she had. Even after so short a time, her entire life had shrunk down to just him. She’d lost everything else, didn’t understand anything else, but he was there. She didn’t love him, hell, she didn’t even like him. But, he was all she had. Beggars and choosers and all that.

 

“Please, Colter.” She could play to his wants.

 

His lips curled into a smile before he released her hands.

 

Nora pulled his shirt off, though when he lifted his arms to allow it to slid off, he released a low groan. With the fabric out of the way, Nora could see why.

 

Dark bruises covered his left side, over his ribs and hip. Nora crouched down, her fingers sliding over the skin gently. “How did this happen?”

 

“Couple Pack thought they could take me. Waited behind some buildings with bats.”

 

“What happened?”

 

He cupped her chin to make her look at his eyes and not his side. “Easy. They couldn’t take me. Not a big deal, dove. I already took a stimpack, and I’ll heal by morning. Just moving a little slow tonight. Let’s get the dishes done and turn in.”

 

Nora stood, setting her hands on his shoulders. “I’ll finish the dishes. You go get ready for bed.”

 

He nodded, didn’t even argue despite her giving him orders. Nora turned to straighten the kitchen, ignoring the quiet ease of the evening.

 

#

 

Colter winced as he laid back in the bed. Yeah, those Pack assholes had been looking to move up. They’d thought if they took him out, they could convince the Pack to follow them and oust Mason.

 

Idiot’s hadn’t realized Colter wasn’t Overboss by accident. Sure, leadership wasn’t his specialty, but if there was one thing he could do, it was fight. So when the three raiders had jumped from their hiding place, one striking him in the side with a bat before he could dodge, he’d almost smiled.

 

Finally, a chance for some fun.

 

They had the gauntlet, but few made it through alive. Those that did, were half dead, and with his suit, they had no chance. Not that he liked when people had a chance to kill him, but occasional true tests of skill was good for the soul. He ached, but he also felt powerful again, like he’d found a tiny piece of himself that had gone missing.

 

Even better? The sweetness Nora showed was unexpected.

 

Then again, she showed that she really was a doctor, didn’t she? The moment she’d realized he was injured, all that annoyance drifted away, and he got a glimpse of the woman beneath.

 

He’d seen her a few times before, like the morning she’d woken up and thought he was Nate, like the soft sighs she released in her sleep. He liked that woman, the one who smiled and wanted.

 

If only he knew how to draw her out more. Letting her work had been an easy choice. She was safe as could be there, with Mackenzie, and if it made Nora happy? Fucking worth it. Arguing with her had grown tiring.

 

She changed, her back to him, and for the first time, he didn’t turn his gaze away. She pulled off her shirt, tossing it into the basket where they put their dirty clothes. She unhooked her bra, tossing it in after. A large shirt went on next, hiding anything else when she shimmied out of her pants.

 

She turned back around, freezing when she caught him staring.

 

Neither spoke, just staring at each other in silence, something passing neither was willing to mention.

 

He didn’t say shit because he’d made it clear. He didn’t fuck slaves. He knew how it felt to be forced to fuck someone you didn’t want to, to not have a choice, and he wasn’t about to do that to someone else. She wouldn’t say shit because, at the end of the day, she’d never feel that way about him. He knew it, accepted it.

 

Fuck, maybe it made it easier. She’d never want him, not really, which meant he didn’t have to worry.

 

“Get into bed,” he said, voice soft, before rolling over and giving her his back to break the tension.

 

The bed dipped behind him as she settled in.

 

He expected her to leave the expanse of space between them that had been there every night, but after a few minutes in the darkness, she scooted closer.

 

Her forehead pressed against the middle of his back, her breath warming his skin. She snaked an arm around his side before pressing her entire body against his.

 

The pounding of her chest rattled against his back.

 

“Nora-“

 

“-I’m sorry. I just, I want to lay like this.”

 

“Why? This ain’t us; you know that.”

 

She nuzzled her cheek against him, though her lips never brushed him. “I know. I just need. . .”

 

Yeah, she needed some contact. She was starving for it, for any sort of affection, so she’d beg for it from the likes of him. Not a surprise, really. Sounded like she’d had that husband of hers before, so going from that to the life of a slave, had to be hard. Not that he’d complain about her curled around him. The weight of her arm aggravated his bruises, but fuck if he cared. Maybe he needed this as much as she did.

 

He had plenty of people to touch, to fuck, to fight with, but it wasn’t like this. There was a softness to this, a reminder of his life before he’d become a raider. That’s what Nora was, a throw back to the life he could have had.

 

Of course, if he’d been that person, she wouldn’t even be alive, since he wouldn’t have been there to save her. Shit worked out however it had to.

 

He nodded as he pulled the blanket over them. “Okay, dove. Go to sleep.”

 

She yawned, fingers digging into the skin on his stomach, before she relaxed. “Goodnight, Colter.”

 

Yeah, he could get used to this.

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

Nora kept her gaze down while they ate breakfast. She wasn’t ready to acknowledge the way they’d slept, her arm around him. She’d woken, fingers clutched against him, as if he might escape.

 

Stranger?

 

Colter had nightmares. He’d woken in the middle of the night, thrashing and breathing hard before jerking upright.

 

Nora had stayed where she was, feigning sleep. Whatever could give a man like Colter nightmares wasn’t something she wanted to address. He’d drug his hand over her face before releasing a shuddering breathe. The bed had shifted as he’d resumed his place on the bed, grasping her arm and pulling it back around him.

 

He hadn’t fallen back asleep quickly, the tension in his body easy enough to feel. Eventually, though, he’d drifted back off, leaving Nora to wonder what it had been about.

 

Not that he’d have answered her if she’d asked.

 

“Won’t be home tonight.” Colter picked up his bowl and went to wash it. “I’m going to scout out Galactic Zone, see what we’re up against there.”

 

Nora frowned, thinking back to what Mackenzie had said about Colter not taking the other parks.

 

“That face says you’re thinking. Well, go on, speak up.”

 

“You’ve been Overboss here for six months, right? You took the park six months ago. Why has it taken you this long to try for any of the other parks?”

 

He set the bowl down to dry before turning to face her, leaning back against the counter. “Mackenzie has been talking, hasn’t she? Yeah, I’m taking my sweet time. Dealing with raider gangs is like dealing with kids. They bitch and bicker and yell about what’s fair. Give them what they want too fast, you’ll end up with spoiled brats who have nothing better to do than fight with each other. Make them wait for it, work for it, and you draw out their cooperation. Also, in case math isn’t your strong suit, there are three gangs and five parks. Someone is going to be pissed when everything is handed out and I’m personally not looking forward to that.”

 

“Why did you bring three gangs, then?”

 

“Original plan had five gangs, but we couldn’t get two of them to join up.”

 

Nora stared down at her own bowl for a minute as she pieced together what she knew. “You’re going to give the parks to the operators and the pack, aren’t you? Forcing the disciples to rebel so the other two gangs take action against the disciples and rid the problem for you.”

 

When he didn’t answer, Nora lifted her gaze up.

 

A grin was stretched across his lips along with something that looked a lot like surprise. “And how did you come up with that?”

 

“You don’t like the disciples. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, but trying to attack one gang could backfire and turn the others against you. Like you said, you cheat, so the obvious choice is to force the other gangs to do your dirty work for you.”

 

Colter chuckled, pushing away from the counter to gather his things. “Well, guess you aren’t just a pretty face, huh? You’re a lot smarter than I’d have figured.” He hoisted the pack onto his shoulder. “I’m going to have Gage stay up here with you, okay? I don’t like you staying on your own, not with me gone this long.”

 

The idea of Gage being anywhere near her had Nora’s lungs not wanting to do their job. His words echoed in her head, his threat. The last thing she wanted was him in her place for an entire night.

 

Colter slid a hand behind Nora’s neck, thumb on her jaw to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. “Something wrong, dove? You have problems with Gage I should know about?”

 

The threat played in her head.

 

“No. Nothing like that. I just, I don’t like him. I’m not comfortable with him here all night, not with any man up here alone with me. Can’t I just turn the lift off and be on my own?”

 

His thumb rubbed over her jaw, a soothing touch she fought against leaning into. “All right. I’ll trust you on this. Please, behave yourself so I don’t regret the choice. After I leave, you can turn off the lift and lock the door. Don’t you leave this place until I come back, not for anything. If you don’t turn it back on when I get back, or if I find out you left, you won’t be very happy with my reaction. Understand?”

 

She released a breath. “Yes. Thank you.”

 

He pulled on his grip, forcing her to her feet. “You know, I like having you here. I know you don’t like being here, not yet, but you will. You’ll see, eventually. I’ll make you see.” The words came out as if he was telling himself more than her.

 

He leaned in, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

 

What was she going to do? Shove him away? Try to knee him in the balls? Stay still? Throw her arms around him and pretend he was Nate and lose herself in a little bit of comfort?

 

She didn’t have to decide, because he froze, face going hard, before pulling back. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” He walked to the lift.

 

“Be careful,” Nora called after him.

 

He turned back around, hand hesitated on the button to the life. “Afraid of what’ll happen to you if I die?” The words came out like a dare, though his face had softened.

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Guess not. Don’t worry, you can’t get rid of me so easily.” The corner of his lips tilted up, the telltale sign of his failure to hide a smile. “Don’t get into any trouble.” He hit his hand on the button to the lift, leaving Nora alone.

 

#

 

Colter walked to the gate of the park, Gage beside him. The trip was about information gathering more than fighting, so leaving the other raider behind made sense.

 

Gage could keep an eye on the park, make sure everyone played nicely together, and Gage was shit at stealth. 

 

If Colter just needed bodies and guns, he’d grab a couple no-name raiders to go with him.

 

“I’ll head up to your place and keep an eye on your slave while you’re gone. She ain’t settled in too much, yet, so I bet she could use some supervision.”

 

Colter hiked up the pack on his shoulder. “No, thanks. She’ll be fine on her own.”

 

Gage’s good eye narrowed. “You saying you don’t trust me, Boss?”

 

“It isn’t that. She doesn’t trust you.”

 

“She saying things? You know women lie every fucking time they open their traps, right? Slaves are even worse.”

 

“She didn’t say shit. I think she doesn’t trust anyone, yet. Hell, she doesn’t even trust me. She’s going to turn off the power to the lift and hide up in my quarters till I get back tomorrow. If you’d sleep downstairs, just to make sure no one else fucks with her, that’ll be more than enough.”

 

Gage hooked a thumb into his belt. “You know, I was worried before about her fucking with your head, but it sure as shit seems like she’s in there now. Don’t let a cunt control what you do. You’re Overboss here, and she ain’t even just a woman, she’s a slave, your slave. Don’t treat her like she’s somethin’ else, she ain’t. You let her have her way, you’re gonna find it won’t turn out well for you.”

 

“Is that a threat?” Colter pulled his shoulders back.

 

Gage shook his head, shoulders dropping. “Nah, Boss. Nothing like that. I’m your right-hand man, right? I give you advice. That’s all this is, I’m giving you advice. Be really fucking careful. Women, they seem stupid, but they’re crafty when it comes to dealing with men. You let her lead you by your dick, and she’ll lead you straight into shit you don’t want to deal with.”

 

Colter pressed his lips together as he considered it. Gage wasn’t entirely wrong, since Colter had given Nora a hell of a lot of leeway.

 

Still, this wasn’t a big deal. So Gage didn’t sleep in the loft? So what?

 

But, Nora had also mentioned the plans, guessing Colter’s steps before he’d given her much information. The woman was a fucking lot smarter than she let on at first.

 

She’d done that from the start, hadn’t she? Got him to underestimate her?

 

He shook his head. There was time to deal with that shit later, when he got back. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll think about it. For now, though? Stay out of my quarters till I get back.”

 

“Sure, Boss, whatever you say.” Gage slapped his hand on Colter’s arm before heading back into the park, while Colter turned and left Nuka World, and Nora, to fend for themselves.

 

#

 

The sound of her name being shouted from the bottom of the lift had Nora leaning over the railing.

 

“Mackenzie?”

 

The other slave cupped her hands over her mouth to amplify her voice. “I need your help! A pack raider took a knife to the chest, and I can’t his breathing to even out.”

 

Nora immediately hit the button activate the lift again. Sure, Colter had told her to stay put, but she was a doctor first. Anything else was second and unimportant when it came to healing people.

 

She wasn’t going to let someone die just because she was afraid.

 

Colter couldn’t be mad at her, and even if he was, well, that was a problem for tomorrow Nora. Tonight Nora was going to go help that person.

 

She grasped the railing of the lift when it struck the ground, since Colter wasn’t there to save her this time.

 

“What happened?”

 

Mackenzie turned to head toward the pack territory. “Kid got jumped, from what I heard. Had to be disciples. I got him steady but he isn’t breathing right.”

 

“Okay. It’s okay, Mackenzie. Take a breath.”

 

“Well, well.” Gage stepped between the two women and their destination. “Pretty sure Overboss told you to stay put.”

 

Nora pushed on Mackenzie’s arm. She didn’t need to get caught up in this. “Go on. Make sure he’s prepped in case I have to operate, okay?”

 

Mackenzie didn’t move right away. “Maybe I should-“

 

“-you should go. I’ll be right behind you, but I need you making sure he keeps breathing until I get there.”

 

Mackenzie nodded and took off that time, moving far enough around Gage that he couldn’t grab her.

 

One they were alone, Gage smiled, his face all hard lines. “So I hear you been talkin’ to Overboss about me.”

 

“I didn’t say anything. I just told him I’d rather be on my own.”

 

“Yeah, I know. Only reason you’re still breathing. Now, I find this all pretty fucking frustrating. See, I’m the voice in his ear. You? You’re a cunt who cooks him dinner, that’s it. So when he starts hearing you in his ear, and actually listening, well, that pisses me off. I been working this shit for a while now, and I ain’t about to be thrown off by some slave girl.”

 

“I need to go.” Even as Nora said it, she knew it was stupid. Gage didn’t care about some kid who needed her.

 

“Don’t care. You see? You think you can do whatever you want, and clearly you need a reminder that that ain’t the case.”

 

Nora didn’t have time for this. She darted, trying to circle wide enough to miss Gage’s arm. The pack gate wasn’t that far away, and she was fast.

 

His arm looped her waist, other arm wrapping in her hair and he yanked her against his body. The hardness that poked her back had her ready to throw up, especially when he ground against her.

 

He leaned in and licked against her earlobe. “I like some chase and some fight. Let’s see if whatever the fuck Colter sees in you is worth it.”

 

Nora pulled in her panic. Think. This was almost exactly what Colter had gone over. It hadworked on him. She drew one hand into a fist, setting it into her other hand for extra strength. First, she stomped down on his foot, as hard as she could, using her heel. He grunted, grip loosening. She took the opening to drive her elbow backward, aiming up to try and catch a rib.

 

She doubted she broke anything, but she hit him hard enough for him to yank back, gasping in a breath.

 

Nora took the last piece of advice Colter had given her and ran, leaving Gage behind her. Whether he gave chase or not, she didn’t know, as she barreled past the pack gate.

 

She was safe.

 

At least, she thought that until she lifted her gaze and realized she was entirely surrounded by pack raiders.

 

Maybe safe was relative.

 


	10. Chapter 10

 

They hadn’t been joking; he was just a kid. The raider couldn’t have been older than sixteen, his body still in that thin, gangly stage that teen aged boys tended to go through.

 

Keeping him alive hadn’t been easy, the problem being that a ridge of the blade had snapped off and stayed inside him. She’d removed it while Mackenzie monitored his vitals, the best they could manage with their limited available technology. The stimpacks had kept the kid alive, though with the blade fragment inside him, he just kept opening up and bleeding, until Nora had fished it.

 

When in med school, Nora had never expected to have to perform surgery on a half-naked raider in the middle of a theme park.

 

With him stabilized, Nora had taken position by his bed to keep an eye on him, despite a few raiders offering to walk her back if she needed it.

 

It seemed saving one of their own gave her some strange level of respect.

 

She slid her eyes closed, head against the wall, butt planted in an uncomfortable metal chair she’d pulled up next to the bed.

 

He wouldn’t wake until tomorrow, at best. The med-x would keep him under, a good plan since she doubted he’d stay still if he were awake. She’d dealt with enough male patients to know they never listened.

 

A male raider? No chance he’d follow her orders.

 

A creak had her opening her eyes, expecting to find another pack member in there, checking in. She’d yet to meet Mason, the Alpha they all talked about, at least not that she’d noticed. Maybe he was coming in to check on his man.

 

Nothing. The empty room had her sitting up straighter. She knew she’d heard something.

 

The waver of air, a flicker of light, and Nora was on her feet, hands clutching for the scalpel she’d used on the raider.

 

Stealthboy.

 

She hadn't dealt with many pre-war, but Nate had once showed her how one worked, since he’d thought for some reason military tech made for an interesting date.

 

Sure enough, the stealthboy flickered away, and a disciple stood from her crouch, metal mask obscuring her face. “You kept him alive?” She rolled her wrist, the large knife catching Nora’s attention.

 

A large knife with a missing tooth near the end, one just like the one she’d pulled from the kid.

 

“And I guess I have you to thank for putting him here?”

 

The raider tilted her head, like Nora had done a trick she hadn’t expected. “Sorry, but he won’t be waking up. You be a good girl, and I won’t need kill you, too.”

 

Nora moved further between the bed and the raider. “This is some good work I did, maybe my best. I’m not about to let you waste it.” Nora held up the scalpel, ignoring the fact that it was a joke compared to what the raider carried.

 

Still, Nora had saved this kid. He was her patient, and he wasn’t going to have his throat slit when he couldn’t even defend himself.

 

So, likely that meant Nora was about to die, but she still had some standards from the old world, from who she wanted to be.

 

The raider swiped at her with the blade, causing Nora to leap backward. She hit the bed, which smacked against the wall.

 

The raider twisted, looking over her shoulder.

 

Right. Stupid. Just outside that door was a gang full of raiders who could help her. Nora opened her mouth to yell, but the raider was on her before she could get the first scream out, a hand to Nora’s mouth.

 

“Don’t you dare. I’m not getting caught by this animals just because you think you’re a hero.” The words were low, hissed from behind the mask.

 

But, as everyone else did, the disciple underestimated Nora. She’d ignored the scalpel, had decided it was pointless.

 

She should have seen what Nora could do with the scalpel. Of course, this wouldn’t be graceful. Nora pointed the scalpel up and set the handle against her thigh to steady her hand. She jerked her leg up, the scalpel slicing the inside of her thigh, near her crotch.

 

Pain across her cheek had Nora twisting to protect her eyes, but the body was gone before another slash came.

 

Nora kept the scalpel, lifting it as she hauled herself up, holding it before her, keeping herself still between the unconscious raider and whoever had come in.

 

And the man in front of her had her swallowing hard. If she’d thought she might not recognize the Alpha, she’d been a fool. The man in front of her, face covered in face paint, body covered in muscle, dripping authority and blood from the disciple whose throat he held in a single hand like she weighed nothing, could be no one else.

 

Still, Nora kept her weapon.

 

He tossed the disciple behind him. “Take her and lock her ass up. Let’s show her how we treat pests.”

 

The raider behind the alpha took the disciple and hauled her away.

 

“Well, don’t you look fierce.” Mason crossed his arms over his chest, lips curling into a grin. “You gonna take me on?”

 

“If you try to harm my patient, then yes.”

 

“With that little thing?” He nodded at her scalpel. “What damage can that do?”

 

“Go ask the woman you just hauled out. If you want her to not bleed out in the next five minutes, you’ll want to give her a stimpack, because I sliced her femoral artery.”

 

He said nothing for a moment, then broke into a laugh, dropping his hands. “Oh, you’re fun.” He came forward, and when Nora moved the scalpel toward him, he grabbed her wrist like it was nothing and pulled the weapon away. He tossed it to the floor and pulled her against his side as they leaned over the raider’s body. “You did good. You saved one of my pack, then risked your own life to keep him safe. That’s not the sort of shit we forget here.”

 

Nora pulled away and this time, he let her. Once she got a little distance, his hand shot out, and she flinched, expecting a hit.

 

 Instead, Mason grasped her chin. “That bitch caught your cheek with her blade, huh? Ain’t deep, but we better treat the doctor. Let’s go.”

 

Mason went to leave, but Nora stayed put. “What about him?”

 

“I’ll leave a guard in the room. He’ll come get ya if anything happens, okay?” When she didn’t move, Mason wrapped his fingers around her collar and pull her closer. “Look, why don’t we call it a favor to me, huh? Colter sees you carved up and learns it happened in my territory, he might decide to off a few of my boys as payment. We stimpack you? Won’t even scar, and no one needs to tell him, huh?”

 

Nora sighed, but nodded.

 

Mason removed his fingers from her collar, choosing instead to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side, and walking out with her.

 

#

 

Hours later, Nora lounged on the stage, sitting near Mason’s feet. Funny to think she might actually enjoy these raiders.

 

They gave her space, the few who spoke to her being damned nice. It took a while for Nora to understand it.

 

Mason had walked out in front of them with his arm around her, then sat her down near his feet. He was making a point, a point that his pack seemed to understand.

 

The idea of having to return to the loft terrified her. She imagined Gage hiding behind every corner, in every dark crevice, ready to jump out and finish his ‘lesson.’ She hadn't really believed he'd make a move against her, but he'd made it clear he'd do just that. Nora needed to keep her guard up. 

 

Maybe she could just stay here with the pack until Colter returned.

 

The idea that she’d hide out with one group of raiders to avoid another was enough for her to laugh.

 

At least until a pair of boots had her lifting her gaze to find Gage standing in front of her.

 

“Well, hey there,” he said, voice full of tension his face didn’t show. Seemed he was good at hiding what he felt. Gage lifted his gaze to Mason. “Overboss wanted his slave to stay put in their quarters. I’ll let him know she helped you all, but she needs to get back there. Don’t worry, I’ll walk her.”

 

Nora turned to face Mason, begging him with her eyes to not make her go.

 

Not that she expected Mason do lift a finger to help her, but she had no other option.

 

Gage wrapped a hand around Nora’s arm, grip tight enough for her to wince.

 

“Hold up, Gage.” Mason said the name the way someone else would curse. “Doesn’t seem like she wants to go.”

 

“Good thing what slaves what ain’t important, huh?” Gage yanked on Nora’s arm.

 

“Let her go, now.” Mason’s voice came out low enough goosebumps broke out over Nora’s skin.

 

Gage turned, a hand going to his pistol. “You really want to do this? Over this bitch?”

 

Mason laughed as he hopped off the stage. “What I think, is that you’re here, in my territory, where I’m in charge. So take your shitty attitude and walk out of here while you still can. If Colter is pissed that I didn’t force his slave to go with you, well, he can take it up with me himself. Now, remove your hand before I remove it for ya.”

 

Gage’s hand cranked down once before he released her, then turned and stormed out.

 

“Thank you,” Nora said.

 

“Don’t get shit twisted, okay? I ain’t soft on slaves or anything, but you? You helped out mine. We owe you. Also, the idea of pissing Gage off? Yeah, that’s worth anything.”

 

“Well, thank you for pissing him off, then.”

 

Mason tossed his arm around her again. He sure was touchy-feely. At least it never seemed to be anything to do with lust, which was the only reason Nora didn’t struggle against it.

 

“Come on. I’ll walk ya back and make sure Gage keeps his distance, huh?”

 

Since the raider was still stable, Nora allowed Mason to walk her back. Even though she felt safer with the pack, she couldn’t sleep there. She found she missed the loft. She wanted to crawl into the bed, even if Colter wouldn’t be in it, and she refused to examine that desire. 

 

The lift groaned near the top, then they both stepped into the room. Mason prowled about the room, checking it for any sign of Gage. He then went to the door, testing the locks. At the end, he turned over one of the large dressers, a feat that even impressed Nora.  

 

“Look, Gage ain’t gonna try shit tonight. He's a coward, and he already got his ass handed to him once tonight. He'll just lick his wounds till tomorrow, at least. Still, I’m gonna park some boys out in front of your place, okay? Should make him think twice if he wants round two.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Fuck thanks. Like I said, you helped us, it means we’ll help you.” Mason didn’t turn right away, staring down at Nora. “You know, you ain’t slave material. I seen slaves all my life, and at the end of the day, they want that collar. They need it. You? You weren’t made for a collar.”

 

“Then why am I wearing one?”

 

“Because you’re still figuring shit out, I guess.” He reached behind him and pulled out a knife from his belt, long, thin, and catching the light on the sharp edge.

 

Nora went to jerk away, but Mason snatched her wrist and pulled her back.

 

“Hide this, okay? Tuck it under the mattress so Colter won’t find it.” He set the knife into her hand, curling her fingers around the handle.

 

“Why are you giving me this?”

 

Mason released her and took a step backward. “I got a thing for the underdog, and in case you haven’t realized it, you’re the underdog here. Figured if you want to hiss and scratch, I oughta make sure you have some claws. Night, Nora.”

 

“Thank you, Mason.”

 

He pointed one finger at her in warning. “You’re sorta pack, now, and that means you fucking call me Alpha.” Even as he snapped, his smile took away any sting.

 

Nora returned the smile. “Thank you, Alpha.”

 

Once alone, she shut off the lift and crawled into the bed. The scent of Colter surrounded her, and she hated that it relaxed her. She wrapped the blanket around herself and melted into the warmth.

 

Her fingers curled around the weapon. She had allies, a weapon, and a way to get beneath Colter’s skin. All she needed was a plan.

 

Mason was right about one thing; she wasn’t meant to be a slave, and she needed to start acting like it.

 

She just had to explain that to Colter in a way he’d understand, and she had a feeling the knife would come in handy for that. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh LOOK, chapter 10 and no smut. That's right. Who can slow burn? This lady right here. hahaha


	11. Chapter 11

 

Nora almost threw her arms around Colter when he made it up the lift. Seeing his stupid face had her pulling in easy breaths, had her struggling to hide the smile.

 

What the hell was wrong with her?

 

She supposed the monster she knew, the one she understood, was the one she wanted to see. Colter wasn’t a good man, or one she could trust, but he was one she understood.

 

As absurd as it seemed, he was her solid place, and she was glad he’d come back.

 

“Well fuck, you almost look happy to see me.”

 

Nora pressed her lips together before turning to grab him a beer. “Nope. That would be crazy.”

 

He set a hand on the small of her back, twisting her to face him. Would he kiss her this time? He didn’t, instead wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a hug, his lips pressing against her hair. “Missed you too, dove.” He back up and plucked the beer from her hands. “I trust nothing interesting happened while I was gone?”

 

She thought back to the raider, to the disciples, to Mason and Gage. “Nothing at all.”

 

He paused before the beer touched his lips. “You sure about that? Because that sounded like a fucking lie to me, and in case I haven’t mentioned it, I don’t like lies.”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

He took a drink from the beer, though his eyes didn’t soften. “Well, if there’s something I should know, Gage’ll fill me in. You know that, right?”

 

“Nothing to tell.” She tried to keep the fear off her face.

 

It wasn’t like Gage was going to tell Colter he’d made a move on Nora, but he might say something else. Then again, Gage might figure it was best if he kept his mouth shut entirely, especially after running from Mason like a puppy who’d peed on the rug.

 

Colter shook his head and walked over to the bed. He dropped his pack on top of the blankets. “I think in another week or two we’ll be ready to take the first park. I’ll take a few from each group and we’ll have it in a couple days.”

 

“I’ll be alone here again?”

 

“That’s life. I’d love to say I’m gonna never have to go anywhere, but it’d be a lie, and I don’t lie. Besides, I figured you’d be happy. The bed all to yourself, no one around to tell you to do shit. Figured you’d enjoy me gone.”

 

“I’m not used to being on my own,” she admitted. “I couldn’t sleep well alone.”

 

He sighed softly. “Sorry, dove. I’ll try not to have to leave you on your own too much. Maybe tonight we’ll go to the diner for dinner. . .” His voice trailed off.

 

Nora walked over to find him with her shirt from the night before in his hand, the blood covering the front of it. The blood mostly belonged to the two raiders, though a small amount was probably hers.

 

She should have gotten rid of the shirt, but she’d hoped that he wouldn’t notice it in the hamper, and she did the laundry anyway.

 

“So, nothing happened?” His words came out low, dangerous. He was daring her to lie to him again.

 

“It wasn’t anything-“

 

He threw the shirt at her, and the balled-up fabric struck her in the chest. “Watch your words very carefully.” He advanced on her, and even though she backed away, she soon hit the wall. Colter grabbed her chin in a grip so hard, it might bruise. He yanked her chin up so he could examine her face.

 

His fingers stroked down the scar on her cheek. How had he found it? She’d looked that morning, found it nothing but a tiny white line, something so small she’d have had trouble locating it, and yet he'd managed it. 

 

“All that blood wasn’t yours, not from this mark. So you want to tell me what happened, or do you want to see just how bad you can make this? Because so far you’ve lied to me, and you obviously didn’t obey me when I told you to stay put. So explain it to me.”

 

“A disciple stabbed one of Mason’s boys-“

 

“-Mason? The fucker is Mason, now? You two on a first name basis?” His hand tightened on her chin, forcing her head further back.

 

Nora ignored the question. “I went to help him. I wasn’t going to let him die just because you grounded me.”

 

“You weren’t grounded. You’re owned, dove, and you should start figuring that out. So what happened to your face?”

 

“The disciple came back for another try. She wanted to kill him, and I disagreed.”

 

Colter tilted her face so the light shined on the scar. “And she did this to you?”

 

“She’d have done more, but Mason pulled her off me.”

 

“She could have slit your throat. This is why I told you to stay put, because without me here to remind people to leave you alone, you’re at risk.” He moved his hand from her chin to her throat, pinning her against the wall with the grip. “I told you to stay here.”

 

“And I’m telling you right now, that if someone needs my help, I am sure as hell going to help them. I don’t care if you tell me not to.”

 

“I own you, Nora.” His thumb rubbed across the collar. “You need to learn to do what I say or your life is going to be very unpleasant. See, I want to spoil you. I want you to have whatever you want, to take care of you. I want us to have a nice life here, together, but that can only happen if you fucking behave and listen to me.”

 

Nora lifted her hand and curled her fingers around his wrist, the one he used to hold her throat. “If behaving means you expect me to ignore people who need my help, well, you better kill me now because I’m never going to do that!”

 

Colter tightened his grip a fraction, not enough to cut off her air but enough to warn her that he could. It caused the collar to creak. “Is that what you want? You want me to kill you? You want to escape me bad enough that that’s a better option?”

 

“No, I don’t want to die. I’ve lived through more than you can imagine, and I still have things to do. But I won’t let you destroy who I am just to live, either. So if you think you can lock me up in here, that you can turn me into a puppet, well that won’t happen. You can accept it or kill me. That’s up to you.”

 

“Maybe I should kill you, because I’m pretty damned sure you’re going to be more trouble than you’re worth.”

 

“So why don’t you?” Maybe daring a raider to kill her was foolish, but Mason had taught her something. She wasn’t meant to be a slave, and while she needed to play the game, she also needed to remind herself that she wasn’t weak.

 

“Because I don’t think I could, even if I should.”

 

Nora opened her mouth to snap out something unkind, but Colter leaned in, his lips crashing against hers.

 

Had he given her time to think, time to second guess it, she’d have done so. She’d have struggled against the kiss, shoved him away, something.

 

Instead, Nora threw her arms around his shoulders, lifting to her toes to deepen the kiss.

 

Not that it required her to deepen it. Colter all but devoured her, tongue sliding past her lips, hand sliding from the front of her throat to the back of her neck, pulling her harder against him.

 

Nora hooked a heel around the back of his leg, trying to get as close as she could. She needed this, the insanity of the moment so damned fitting with the insanity of her whole life.

 

Colter reached down with his free hand and grasped the back of her knee, pulling her leg up so he could grind against her.

 

Her nails scored his back, a moan escaping both their lips. She wanted him to take her, right there, against the wall. Fuck her past and Nate and this whole damned world.

 

But when she hooked her leg tighter around his waist, he froze.

 

“Fuck.” He shook his head and pulled back so fast, Nora had to grab the wall for balance.

 

“Don’t stop,” she asked, voice breathless, needy. “I need this. I've lost everything, don't take this away from me, too. Please, Colter, don’t stop.”

 

Colter pointed a finger at Nora, hand trembling. “I don’t fuck slaves, remember? Not even ones willing to whore themselves out.”

 

Nora jerked back, the words digging in deep, just like he’d meant them to.

 

His lips pressed together, gaze dropping, hands drawing into fists. Another shake of his head and he headed toward the lift. “Stay put. I’ll be back later.”

 

Nora obeyed, mostly because her legs refused to work.

 

#

 

Colter needed something to get his fucking head working again. He’d been moments from stripping Nora down to nothing and fucking her against that wall. He wanted to taste all of her, to discover every pace that drew out those sounds from her.

 

The way her hips had writhed against him, her leg around his waist, her small nails digging into his skin. It had been everything he wanted out of a woman, to feel like she was drowning along with him.

 

And then he’d woken the fuck up and remembered she was a slave.

 

He couldn’t have her.

 

The diner was loud, and the beer in his hand didn’t help to dull the voices in his head. He let his head fall back against the wall behind the booth he sat in. The nights when he’d first joined up with a raider gang, the times when you couldn’t say no, they threatened to strangle him.

 

Yeah, he didn’t fuck slaves because he’d been fucked when he hadn’t wanted to. He wouldn’t risk doing that to anyone else, especially not to Nora.

 

No. He had to work this off with someone else, someone who could say no, someone who had a choice.

 

“Hey, Overboss.” The purr of a female raider had Colter lifting his gaze.

 

What was her name? Kelly? He’d fucked her enough times, he should know, but it hadn’t been anything important. It meant nothing to either of them.

 

“Hey, Kelly.”

 

She slid into his lap without asking, the table in front of them making the position a strain and pressing her against him. “I want you. Take me back to your place and fuck me, okay? It’s been too fucking long and I need it, bad.”

 

Colter wanted to tell her no. He wanted to shove her off his lap, but he needed this, too. Maybe a good fuck would get his mind off Nora, would get his cock in check. He couldn’t have her, but the woman in his lap wanted him, was in a position to want him.

 

And burying himself in a willing body always shoved away his memories.

 

#

 

Colter’s voice from downstairs had Nora moving toward the railing of the loft. He hadn’t returned after leaving, spending hours gone.

 

She’d waited, expecting him to ride the lift up, to apologize. He’d stomp around, not directly taking responsibility, but trying small acts of sweetness to buy affection.

 

He didn’t come, though, and when she was half asleep, his voice had called her over, low and quiet and rushed.

 

The door to the downstairs snapped shut.

 

Nora twisted, but the dresser Mason had moved was still there, blocking the entrance.

 

Was he going to spend the night downstairs? He couldn’t be that angry, especially since he had no right to be.

 

Nora hit the button for the lift, to call it up. She was going to go down there and yell. She wanted to shout at him, to tell him off. How dare he kiss her and then call her a whore. How dare he walk around like she’d done something wrong when all she’d done was try to survive.

 

She rode the lift down, the stop at the bottom not shaking her this time. It seemed anger was good for lots of things, including balance.

 

The door was closed, but not locked. Nora opened it and slid in.

 

“Quiet,” Colter snapped.

 

Nora frowned, steps faltering. No, he wasn’t talking to Nora, he couldn’t see her. So who was he with?

 

She walked forward, steps light, until she turned the corner, her stomach dropping.

 

Colter was on his knees on the ground, behind a naked woman, a hand on her hip, the other on her lower back. His hips snapped in hard thrusts, her body jerking forward with each thrust, tits shaking beneath her.

 

“You always liked when I talked,” she said, voice high and thin and full of chems.

 

“Well, I don’t want to hear it tonight. Shut up and let me pretend you’re someone else.”

 

“Sure, boss, whatever you want, just as long as you keep doing that.” Her hips rotated as she moved backward, into his thrusts, to get him deeper. 

 

Nora took a step backward, kicking a can that echoed through the room.

 

The gaze of both Colter and the woman lifted. Colter went still, while the woman’s lips twisted into an ugly smirk.

 

“Nora.” Colter froze after that word, like he didn’t know what else to say.

 

Fine, she didn’t need to hear anything else. He could insult her, threaten her, do whatever he wanted, but she wasn’t going to let him see it hurt her.

 

She turned and ran. Fuck him and his rules.

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

It took Colter three hours before he found Nora. Three hours of panic and anger and more than a little regret.

 

So, maybe fucking Kelly downstairs hadn’t been smart. He’d thought Nora would be asleep, and if she wasn’t, she’d stay put like he’d ordered.

 

And wasn’t that stupid? When had Nora ever listen to anything he told her to do?

 

The sight of her, mouth open, skin pale, and so much damned hurt in those eyes? Yeah, there was no way he was finishing after that. Kelly hadn’t been happy, but hell, she’d been high enough she hadn’t argued much. He’d sent her back to the diner, and she’d find someone else. She always did, and it was one reason they’d fucked so often, because neither of them thought anything of it beyond a little fun.

 

Colter checked the loft, the diner, checked in with Gage, even checked the tram. Nothing.

 

He’d deactivated the explosives in her collar that triggered due to proximity before he’d left for the Galactic Zone, just in case she’d tried to run. He could always find her and collect her, but not if she got herself blown up into little pieces. The good thing was it meant she wouldn’t activate the collar, the bad being she could have gone anywhere.

 

It was nearly morning by the time he thought about checking one last place.

 

She’d called him Mason, like they were best fucking friends. She wouldn’t have run toward a group of raiders, would she?

 

Running from Colter was one thing, but running toward Mason was another fucking thing all together, the sort of thing that pissed him off. 

 

But sure enough, he passed the Pack gates and there she was.

 

Smiling, laughing, more than a little drunk, and perched in the lap of a raider Colter didn’t know. She sat at a table, a few cards in her hands, others strewn on the table. Poker? Judging from the pile of caps in front of her, she’d done well.

 

The raider who’s lap she sat in -and Colter was trying really fucking hard to talk himself out of gutting the raider for that- had his own cards in his hand, his other hand on her hip. When she set her hand down, she leaned too far and started to topple. Only his hand on her waist kept her upright.

 

Colter pointed a finger at Mason who returned a finger, though Mason used his middle finger to respond.

 

He walked up to the table. “I told you to stay in the loft.”

 

Nora twisted to face him, eyes not focusing, the raider setting his cards down because he needed both hands to keep her from spilling to the ground. Had she bathed in the liquor? “You were busy so I didn’t think you’d notice.”

 

“You don’t get to make that choice, dove. I tell you to stay put, you stay put.”

 

She snorted. “Good luck with that. I’m playing cards.”

 

“I see that. I think you’re done.”

 

“I don’t think so. I’m winning.” She lowered her voice into what could only be described as a muttered whine. “Only thing I seem to win at.”

 

He grabbed her arm and drug her out of the raider’s lap. The only thing that kept the raider alive was that he didn’t protest, only scooting back to make the move easier.

 

Nora shoved Colter’s chest. “Don’t you touch me. I know exactly where those hands have been.”

 

He released her and she went over. A quick grab kept her off the ground. “You’re drunk, dove. You aren’t close to up to fighting with me.”

 

Mason’s chuckle had Colter gritting his teeth. He’d never gotten along well with the alpha. First, they were both dominant men who didn’t much care to listen to anyone else. However, Mason had ended up taking care of a group of people, and Colter had ended up looking out for himself. Something about the other raider had Colter always wanting to bare his own teeth.

 

“You here to steal away our girl?”

 

“She isn’t your girl. She’s my slave.”

 

Mason cocked up an eyebrow. “We both know she ain’t a slave. Collars don’t mean shit. Someone could slap a collar on you, and you still wouldn’t be a slave.”

 

“What makes you an expert? Just hoping you can fuck her? I’ve seen you train slaves before, so don’t act like you’re all here for helping people out.”

 

“Helping people out? Fuck that. Her? She helped out my Pack and that means I’m looking out for her. You come storming in here, having yourself a hissy fit, and you think you’re gonna drag her away anywhere she doesn't wanna go? Fuck that.”

 

“I’m Overboss, and she’s mine. Don’t get involve, Mason.”

 

Mason pulled his shoulders back, and the Pack went silent, like animals who had just scented a kill.

 

Nora shoved Colter away again, though this time managed to keep her feet beneath her. “Thanks Alpha, but I’m fine. Plus, this all goes to hell? I’m the one who will have to patch you all back up.”

 

Mason frowned for a minute, fingers hooking into the waist of his pants. “You sure? Because I told you, we look after our own.”

 

Nora flashed a drunken smile and blew Mason a kiss. “I’m sure. ‘sides, he annoys me too much? I’ll just use my claws.”

 

Mason’s frown faded away, replaced with another smile. “That’s my little tiger. Fine, Overboss, she’s your problem. With any luck, she’ll throw up on you then scratch your eyes out. Good luck.” Mason lifted his hand so the Pack shifted back, giving Colter room.

 

He wasn’t about to argue, so he tossed Nora over his shoulder and hauled her out.

 

They clearly had some conversations in order.

 

#

 

Colter dropped her onto the bed before grabbing a bowl and shoving it at her. “Don’t puke on my bed.”

 

She mimicked the words back, tone petulant.

 

“Who’d have figured you could be even less respectful when drunk.”

 

“I’m not drunk.”

 

“How much did you have?”

 

Nora held up one finger; her middle finger.

 

Seemed she learned a few things from Mason.

 

Still, as annoyed as he was about her drunken state, about her backtalking and disrespect, something about her being totally unguarded had him interested.

 

“Charming,” Colter said about her flipping him off. He picked up a can of water and tossed it to her. "Dehydration causes the worst of a hangover, so drink up." 

 

She tried to catch it, but missed it by a longshot and had to pick it up from the floor. A grimace crossed her face when she drank some.

 

“Mouth probably tastes like shit. The alcohol the Pack drinks could burn a hole in your stomach, and you don’t strike me as the type to drink often.”

 

She gulped down half the can, then used her arm to wipe her mouth. “Nope. Not a big drinker. Last time was. . ." She frowned, eyebrows drawn together. "My wedding night?”

 

Weren’t wedding nights supposed to be happy times? Especially when she got to marry her prince Nate. Instead of asking that, he stayed on topic. “So why tonight? Why go get yourself stupid drunk with the Pack?”

 

“Seemed like a good idea. You were having your fun, seemed fair to have my own.”

 

“Look, Nora-“

 

“-don’t. Don’t you dare apologize to me.”

 

He huffed before securing the door and turning off the lift. Neither of them had slept the night before, so the day was shot anyway. Might as well catch a few hours of sleep. “Wasn’t going to apologize,” he lied. “I don’t need to apologize, in case you’ve forgotten. I can fuck whoever I want.”

 

“Yep. Like ‘Kelly’ or whoever you pretended she was. Who was she in your head, huh? Some old fling?” Nora pushed herself off the bed, feet unsteady, as she polished off the last of the water.

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Didn’t seem to matter to her. How was she? Better than some slave I bet.” She tossed the empty can into the wastebasket and missed it, the can rattling across the floor.

 

“Knock this off, Nora. You’re storming around, angry over me fucking someone when there is no reason for me not to.”

 

She lifted her foot to pull off her boot, but standing on one foot was so far beyond her ability that she toppled, and this time Colter wasn’t close enough to stop it.

 

“Ow,” she whimpered from the floor, though she didn’t try to stand again.

 

Colter shook his head. This was exactly why he couldn’t let her go. She was a disaster and had no idea how to care for herself. He crouched beside her and helped her remove her boots, then pulled her socks off and tucked them inside the boots. “We’ll argue more tomorrow.”

 

“I’m not done arguing tonight.”

 

He undid the button on her pants, then pulled them off her legs, fingers skimming her thighs. “Well, I’m done arguing with you. You want to argue with the air? Go ahead.” He tore his gaze away from her as soon as the pants came off, the temptation of those legs, of where her underwear hid what he really wanted, was too much. Instead, he slid his arms beneath her and lifted her, then carried her to the bed.

 

When he got her into the bed, she wrapped her fingers in his shirt so he couldn’t move off her. “Who were you pretending it was?”

 

“Don’t ask me that.” No one needed the answer to that. She didn’t need to know that he’d been picturing her on her knees in front of him, that he’d thought about sliding into her, of hearing her sweet cries.

 

“Why not? You have your nightmares and don’t tell me about them, you don’t tell me anything. You know you almost elbowed me in the face the other night? But still, you don’t say anything. Tell me that, at least. Tell me what special woman it is that you have somewhere that you fuck other women and pretend they’re her. Is that who you thought about when you kissed me? Am I some stand in for whoever that is?”

 

He should shut up. He should pull off her and order her to go the fuck to sleep. He should do anything but continue this conversation. “I was fucking Kelly and pretending she was you, happy?”

 

Yep. That was exactly the one thing he wasn’t supposed to say. Great fucking job.

 

Nora’s eyes went wide, hands still clutched in his shirt. “Me?”

 

“Forget I said anything. Just, fucking go to sleep and stop bugging me, would you?”

 

“If you wanted it to be me, why did you leave? I about begged you to stay, but you left me here and went to her.” The way she sounded? Like a wounded girlfriend.

 

“It doesn’t matter. Already said, I won’t fuck you. I can’t. So instead, I’ll fuck other women, and I’ll pretend they’re you, and you’ll stop giving me shit over it.”

 

She narrowed her gaze. “Fine. Maybe I’ll do the same. I bet Mason would be willing to look past the whole slave thing. Can’t deny he’s good looking. Who better to help me get over Nate than a man like that?”

 

He wrapped his hand around her throat, fingers stroking along her collar. “Don’t you dare. If I find out you’ve fucked anyone else, you’re going to be sorry.”

 

The idea of Mason, or any man, laying their hands on her had him ready to kill someone. Sure, that wasn’t exactly fair, since he’d just been fucking Kelly and he had no intention of stopping his sex life, but so what? Life wasn’t fair, and he was in charge.

 

“You keep threatening me, but you know what? I don’t think you’ll do a thing to me. You haven’t yet.” She lifted her head off the bed, which forced his hand tighter against her neck, calling his bluff.

 

Damn it, she was frustrating. He wouldn’t hurt her, wouldn’t hit her, she wouldn’t listen, so what the fuck was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like he could even admit she was right. “Keep pushing me, and you’ll find out.”

 

“You aren’t going to hit me or you would have already. You aren’t going to let anyone else do it, either. You aren't going to rape me since you won't even have sex with me when I want you to. You keep forcing me to eat, so you won’t starve me. You can’t leave me to sleep outside because you don’t trust anyone. So, what are you going to do? Spank me?” Her words slurred, the drunken dare thrown like she was arguing with a parent instead of a full grown male raider who owned her ass.

 

She wanted to play this game? Fine, it was Colter’s turn to call her bluff. He pulled off her, then grabbed her arm and hauled her over his lap. “Great fucking idea, dove.”

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Her voice came out confused rather than frightened.

 

“Exactly what you told me to. You want to act like a petulant child? Fine, I’ll spank you like one.”

 

And that intake of breath of hers, the gasp that sounded too close to a whimper? Well fuck, maybe this was a bad idea.

 

Or a really fucking good one.

 


	13. Chapter 13

 

Nora could hardly believe she was laying over Colter’s lap, one leg of his slung over the back of her legs, near her knee, and a hand on the back of her neck to pin her. “Are you insane?”

 

His hand tightened on her neck before sliding into her hair and gripping. “No, but I am tired of you mouthing off to me. You want to act like a brat, I’ll treat you like one. You can apologize and behave, or I can spank you until you do.”

 

“You can fuck-“

 

His hand struck her, hard, and she sucked in a breath. He hadn’t used his full strength, she knew damned well, but it still hurt.

 

“Again?”

 

“Let me-“

 

Another smack. “This is pretty simply, Nora. I want you to be happy here, with me. You’re right, I can’t hit you. Just isn’t who I am. I can’t beat on you and I can’t starve you and I can’t use that shock collar, so I’m left with this because you won’t just fucking behave.”

 

“Because I’m not a slave!” She got the words out before his hand landed another hit.

 

“You are. That collar says you are. You are mine and you will start acting like it. You aren’t on fucking vacation here! There are people in this park who would slit your throat if they got a chance, who would rape you without a second thought. My protection keeps you safe, but you need to fucking listen to me!” His hand punctuation his points, striking her hard and fast. He didn't seem winded, like he could do this all damned day.

 

Tears covered Nora’s cheeks. She refused to give in, but damn, it hurt. She let her face fall forward, against the bed, gasping in a breath. It hurt, but that wasn’t all. Maybe it was all the damned build up they’d done, or the whiskey, or her anger, but that pain melted inside her into something so much worse.

 

She wanted him. This arrogant, frustrating, impossible man was exactly who she wanted right then.

 

She shifted her thighs together as his hand rubbed along her ass, over the warm skin, and drew a whimpered. On the tail end of that whimper was a moan.

 

His hand stilled, body going rigid, before repeating the gentle stroke, like testing if he'd heard her correctly. 

 

This time the moan was blatant, pulled from her throat by the way his callused hands caused sparks of pain over where he’d spanked her.

 

He groaned in response, hand releasing her hair. “Always surprising me, aren’t you?”

 

He didn’t asked her to apologize, to promise anything. It was like he’d been completely derailed from her punishment by that moan. His fingers followed the line of her underwear over her upturned ass, one finger dipping beneath as he teased her.

 

Nora shut her eyes, pretended she was anywhere else, with anyone else. Even as she tried, it was his fucking face that kept coming back to her.

 

The first stroke of his fingers had her trying to rise out of nerves, like her body had just realized what the hell was happening. A hand on her back kept her still.

 

“Tell me to stop and I will, Nora. Tell me you don’t want this right now, and I’ll let you up.” His voice had dropped low, stroking against her, headier than the whiskey she’d poured down her throat all night.

 

She couldn’t answer, couldn’t come out and say she wanted him because it sounded like too much of a betrayal, even to her, so she only shook her head.

 

His thumb rubbed against her back, hand still keeping her pinned, like he was reassuring her, as if she were some frightened animal in need of coaxing.

 

She couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything, so when he slid beneath her underwear and pushed his finger into her, she could only accept it.

 

He slid in without resistance. If she’d been less drunk, she might have been embarrassed at the ease in which he entered her. She might have called herself every dirty name she could think of for wanting to fuck this raider, but right then? Right then she could only feel.

 

He moved his fingers, sure and quick, sliding into her while his thumb stroked her clit. She didn’t care that he’d fucked Kelly a few hours before, or that he wasn’t Nate, or that this was entirely wrong. She only cared for a moment about not being her, about not being there.

 

#

 

Colter almost came when he felt how fucking wet she was. He’d known she would be, when he finally got his fingers into her, he knew she’d be wet and desperate.

 

No, wait. He’d sworn he wouldn’t ever do this.

 

Fuck it. Right then? Right then he didn’t care.

 

He hadn’t planned this, hadn’t expected her to react this way. He’d expected that he’d swat her a few times, she’d cry and apologize, he’d hug her, and they’d go the fuck to sleep.

 

Instead, she’d ground her hips against him, thighs rubbing together, and she’d let out the softest little moans. The crotch of her panties had gotten damp, the fabric darkening, her chest moving faster as she'd panted.

 

So punishment had gone right the hell out of his head. When you had a woman like this writhing in your lap after you spank her, you don’t just let her up. You do whatever you have to get inside her until you have her gasping and coming.

 

That was his plan, the only plan he had.

 

Her cunt tightened around his fingers, telling him she was close. Was she really this worked up? Was she into that edge of pain? Was it just the reaction of everything else she'd been through? Did she like when he controlled her?

 

He wanted to crawl inside her head and figure it out, especially since he doubted she even knew.

 

Instead, he fucked her harder with his fingers, driving more of those sounds from her, imaging how good she’d feel wrapped around his dick, whispering his name, nails digging into his shoulders.

 

“Come on,” he groaned. “Come for me, won’t you?”

 

She sucked in a breath as she came, cunt cranking down around him, though he didn’t stop or even slow his fingers. He back arched, hips moving against him, whether for more or less he wasn’t sure, and didn’t really care.

 

He kept at it, prolonging her orgasm until she was whimpering and pulling away, pleading with him to stop. He did, though he didn’t pull his fingers from her.

 

“You look fucking pretty when you come.” He pushed his fingers into her again, enjoying the way her cunt fluttered around him, before having a bit of mercy and withdrawing them.

 

He used a grip on her arm to pull her up, into his lap, so she straddled him. He cupped her cheeks, ignoring the fact that one hand still had her wetness on it. “You okay there, dove?”

 

She wrapped her fingers behind his neck and pulled him into a kiss, her other hand reaching between them to yank at his pants.

 

She was drunk, and this was wrong, but he just didn’t fucking care anymore. Watching her come apart on his fingers had gotten him more than ready, and after that fuck-up with Kelly, he really needed this. Tomorrow he could sulk and drown in guilt. Tomorrow he could remind himself that he didn't fuck slave. Right then? Right then he just wanted to fuck her. 

 

He shifted his hips up, lifting them both, as they worked his pants down enough to free his dick. They didn’t need much room, and fuck knew he wasn’t lasting worth shit. This was about dousing that fucking fire that had been building between them, not about marathon style sex. At least she was already drenched.

 

She fumbled, hands clumsy, trying to line him up and hold herself up.

 

In the end, he grasped her hip with one hand and his dick with the other, then slid her down his length.

 

God, she was tight. Tight and wet and fucking perfect.

 

And way too fucking drunk to manage any sort of rhythm, so he got both his hands on her hips and controlled her movements. He moved her up and down his dick, his hips lifting at the bottom of each stroke to fuck into her as deep as he could.

 

She didn’t fucking listen to him, didn’t want him, didn’t like him, but this? Hell, at least they’d have this. And she’d come again, he’d make sure of it.

 

Her head leaned forward, forehead against his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his other shoulder for balance.

 

“Tell me you want me,” he demanded.

 

“I don’t want you.”

 

He snapped his hips up, drawing a gasp from her. “Then why are you here? Why are you fucking me if you don’t want me?”

 

His voice came out soft, bitter. “Because I need you.”

 

Colter’s hands tightened as he sped his pace. That was true. No matter how much he wished it were different, she didn’t want him, she’d never want him, not really.

 

He reached one hand between them, and a single pinch to her clit sent her back over that edge. Her cunt tightened around him, and it would take a stronger man to hold off any longer. He came, fingers on her hip digging in as her cunt pulsed around him, drawing out every drop of seed.

 

They panted, sweating and clutching each other but neither willing to speak, to admit to shit.

 

She sucked in a shuddering breath.

 

Just realized what she’d done?

 

Probably.

 

Colter didn’t stop her when she pulled off him, when she stumbled to the small, curtained off bathroom. The sound of water, of washing, had him shaking his head.

 

What a fucking mess. Least he didn't hear any crying or gagging. 

 

He wiped himself off, pushing away the guilt.

 

She came back out, dressed in her pajamas, avoiding his gaze. The bed dipped as she crawled in, beneath the blankets, her back to him.

 

Colter stretched out behind her. “What if I took the collar off? You couldn’t leave, you’d still have to listen to me, but I could take the collar off.”

 

“I’d still be a slave. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Colter. You can’t expect me to act like I’m your slave, but pretend I’m not.”

 

“If I let you go, you'll leave. I can’t let you leave.”

 

“And I can’t stay.”

 

He put an arm around her and drug her back, against his chest. “Then I guess we’re both stuck, aren’t we?”

 

Nora shook her head but didn’t pull away. “No. I’m the only one stuck, but only for a while. I won’t stay here forever, you know that, right? I will escape.”

 

He kissed the top of her head before closing his eyes. “And if you manage it, I’ll tear apart the Commonwealth to find you.”

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

Nora couldn’t eat. She pushed the mush that was supposed to be oatmeal around in the bowl, gaze down, flat out ignoring Colter.

 

How could she have had sex with him?

 

She’d woken, head pounding, mouth dry, his body wrapped around hers. Worse? She’d do it again. She knew it, because she was so desperate for any human contact that she’d have sex with him again and again until she could escape.

 

Would she feel like this after every time? Hell, she hoped so. If she didn’t have any guilt, that was worse, wasn’t it? That was the real betrayal of Nate, of their old life.

 

“I couldn’t have knocked you up, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

Nora’s gaze jerked up at that. She hadn’t even considered that, had she? How couldn’t she not have even thought about that? She had no idea where her first child was, if he was even still alive, and she hadn't even thought about the fact she could have ended up pregnant again.

 

He laughed, the sound empty. “I had my junk snipped years ago, in my first raider group. I wasn’t about to leave behind bastards. So, if that’s what has made your appetite shit this morning, you don’t have to worry about it.”

 

“Good to know,” she said, then went back to pushing the food around.

 

“You know, any man worth anything wouldn’t be pissed at you for moving on, not after he was gone. Not like he can give you a seeing to.”

 

A seeing to? Nora flinched at the phrasing.

 

“Shit. That’s not what I mean.”

 

“Right. You mean that my dead husband would be thrilled with the fact that I’m fucking a raider boss who thinks he owns me just a month after my husband died. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

 

Colter’s eyes narrowed, the way they did every time Nora challenged him. “I’m saying that he isn’t here, and you still need someone. You can’t spend what’s left of your life crying over people who are gone.”

 

“And what do you know about any of that? You don’t strike me as the type to settle down and get married and have kids, so what exactly do you know about what I’m going through?”

 

He tore his gaze away, focusing on the food in front of him. “About family? Nothing, I guess, but I know a lot about losing people, and about moving on. At the end of the day, you have to look out for yourself because no one else will. Speaking of perfect Nate, you’ve never even told me what he did.”

 

“You told me not to talk about him.”

 

“And you love to not do what I say, so why the fuck would you listen this time?”

 

Nora sighed, thinking back, wondering what to say. How did you explain your husband to someone? “He was a soldier.”

 

“What, like Enclave?”

 

Nora had no idea what that was, so she only shrugged.

 

“Not so different than me, then. We both kill people, but at least I know why I’m doing it. Not just following someone else’s order, not letting them make decisions for me. I kill who I want and don’t answer to a fucking person.”

 

“He didn’t kill innocents.”

 

“He ever go to war? Then he killed innocents. That’s all war is, at the end of the day, it’s people killing other people. Doesn’t matter if you do it for some land or a flag or caps, it’s all the same.”

 

“Not Nate.”

 

“Right, I forgot, he’s perfect and the rules of the world don’t apply to him. Gotta ask, if he was so fucking perfect why’d you drink yourself stupid on your wedding night, huh? Maybe life wasn’t quite as perfect as you like to pretend?”

 

The jab landed. Maybe it wasn’t like she liked to remember, but he was gone. It was all gone. It was wrong to complain about it now that she’d lost it all. The memory of drinking, of his glare since he knew she was pregnant, unlike anyone else, had stuck with her. It wasn't a proud moment for her, but hell, she still hadn't been sure she'd keep the baby, still telling herself there was some other choice than doing what was expected of her. 

 

“Maybe,” was all she said back.

 

Colter sighed and drug his hand over his face. “Fucking hell. I’m always needling you, aren’t I? Some pair we are.”

 

“We aren’t a pair. That’s the point, isn’t it?”

 

“Guess so. Look, I want you working daily on your survival skills, understood? I don’t have time to do it, but I can get Gage to handle it.”

 

Nora shook her head. “Not Gage. Let me ask Mason, please.”

 

“You’re on thin ice when it comes to Mason already. I don’t like him stepping in and causing trouble, speaking up against me. Why would I ever let you spend more time with him?”

 

“Because I think you know that he could teach me. He didn't make it to Alpha without knowing how to protect himself, and whether you like it or not, he seems to want me to stay alive, so I bet you know he’d make sure I learned.”

 

Colter’s lips pressed together as he said nothing for a minute. “I’ll talk to him, see if he can manage to not act like an animal for once. I’m not kidding, though, if you like him, you better keep your fucking head on straight. I find out anything happened between you two, I’ll kill him and I’ll rethink the whole chaining you to the bed shit, understood?”

 

Nora nodded. “Yes. Understood.”

 

Mason was her ticket out.

 

#

 

Colter hated the fucking Alpha. Every time he looked at him, he was reminded that, yeah, he fucking hated him.

 

Still, Nora wasn’t wrong. Mason could teach her, and maybe better than Colter. Colter had further softened over their time together, and the idea of striking her, even if he pulled the hit, had him uneasy. Mason might like her, but he was less sentimental, which meant he was likely to be harder on her.

 

That’s what she needed.

 

She was determined to escape Colter, and while he wouldn’t let her go, he needed her to survive on her own long enough to recover her. For that? She needed training.

 

Hell, maybe she’d learn enough, become strong enough, that they could be more like equals. Maybe she’d realize how much she needed him, and maybe she’d be willing to just obey finally.

 

“She better be okay,” Mason said from his chair on the stage, like some king in his own mind. “Ain’t gonna be happy if I find out you hurt her.”

 

“Not your business, but she’s fine. That’s why I’m here, though. I’m sure you’ve noticed, she isn’t exactly talented at protecting herself.”

 

Mason tilted his head, the necklace shifting around his throat. “You asking me to train her? You trust her alone with me?” The smirk on Mason’s lips said what his words didn’t.

 

“I don’t like the idea, but she doesn’t trust Gage.”

 

“No one should trust that slimy fucker. You know he tried to haul her outta here that night you were gone? Yeah, I wouldn’t turn my back on him if I were you.”

 

Yeah, Gage wasn’t one to trust far, but Colter trusted him a lot fucking further than any of the gangs. Whatever fear Nora had was probably due to Gage’s rough attitude. He wasn’t known for being soft and fluffy. “Didn’t ask you for advice, asked you if you’ll train Nora.”

 

Mason leaned back in his chair. “Sure. I’ll help the tiger sharpen her claws, but don’t be surprised if she uses ‘em to gut you. Nothing would make me prouder, either.”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up about that. She uses her claws on me, but it's more for hanging on to than gutting.”

 

“Only a matter of time, then, ‘fore she gets sick of your shit. Oh, I can’t wait for the day when she gets you on your knees. Always been a fan of seeing that, and I couldn’t think of better fucker I’d like to see brought to his knees.”

 

“Yeah, fuck you too, Mason. Just keep your filthy hands off her, got it? I find out you tried anything with her, I’m gonna have to remind you why it is I’m Overboss.”

 

Mason grinned wider, like the threat didn’t mean a damned thing to him. “Yeah, sure, Overboss. Looking forward to it.”

 

Colter shook his head and left.

 

This was a terrible fucking idea.

 

 

#

 

Nora’s shoulders tightened when she spotted Gage, leaning against the outside of the Pack gates, obviously waiting for her.

 

“Well, hey there, sweetheart.” His voice grated on her nerves.

 

“You’d be stupid to try anything here. Through that gate are people more than willing to tear you apart, and one scream from me will bring them here.”

 

He smiled, all threat. “Relax. Ain’t doing anything but checking in. Colter said you didn’t want me to train you. Gotta say, you hurt my feelings.”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“You gained a little bite, huh? All the more fun when I break you.”

 

“You know Colter would kill you if he knew you were threatening me, right? Whatever you think about him, he wouldn’t put up with this.”

 

Gage pushed himself off the gate and walked closer. “You think he gives a fuck about you? You are a wet hole and not much else. I’m the one who can give him the power he wants, who can help him. Trust me, he knows exactly where to lay this bet. If you told him, he’d probably just give you to me anyway.”

 

Nora kept her feet still, refusing to back away, to give in. Don’t show fear, don’t show him how damned much he frightened her.

 

And it was a lot.

 

“Why do you even care? You can’t tell me you can’t get laid elsewhere.”

 

“True. At first it was just easy. Then? When Colter started taking an interest, gotta say I like the idea of fucking his girl behind his back. You see, it’s my job to give him power, but I love tasting that power, too. And now? Well, fuck, the way you keep fighting against it? Makes me all the more desperate to get at ya.” The backs of his fingers drug up her arm, a light stroke.

 

Nora tried to hide the gag at the touch, but didn’t manage it. She jerked away, before lifting her chin and walking past the gates.

 

Inside, Mason sat on the edge of the stage, talking to someone. He tilted his head, spotting her and grinning. He shooed off the other raider and waved her over with two fingers. “Was that Gage’s voice I heard?”

 

“It was nothing.”

 

He huffed. “Nothing, huh? Because, from where I’m sitting, seems like he’s circling and waiting for a chance to pounce.”

 

Nora shuffled her feet against the dirt. “You’re supposed to train me, right?”

 

“Yep, I see the big fucking 'not gonna talk about it' sign you’re putting up. Fine. Yeah, we’re training. Look, I ain’t gonna go easy on you. You’re gonna get beat to hell, and you’re gonna hurt, and you’re gonna hate me, but you’re also gonna learn to fucking protect yourself, got it?”

 

“Why did you agree?”

 

“Believe it or not, Pack may have more slaves than any other group, but we’re also the only ones who release slaves who want to join up. No other gang let’s ‘em move to raider status, but we do. Slaves wanna be slaves, and if they don’t? Well, then they toughen up and lose the collar.”

 

Nora walked closer until she was just in front of Mason, until she could whisper just between them. “So release me. Take this collar off and let me go. I’ll run, and they won’t even ever need to know it was you, please.”

 

He shook his head. “Ain’t about to do that until I’m sure you can handle yourself. But, look, I’ll offer you the same deal I offer ‘em all. If you can fight me and put up a good show, I’ll let ya go. Ain’t gotta beat me, because that ain’t fucking happening, but you gotta hold your own. You do that? I’ll take that collar right off you and give you the longest head start I can, okay?”

 

“And you’ll teach me to fight, first?”

 

Mason laughed before he hopped to his feet, throwing one arm over her. “Sure, sure. I’ll show you every dirty trick in the book, and trust me, you’ll need ‘em if you want to tangle with me. I won’t go easy, but guess what?”

 

Nora frowned, casting a glance up. “What?”

 

Mason slung a leg behind her calves and used his grip to shove her backward, her breath knocking from her lungs when she hit the ground. Mason grinned down at her. “I think you’ll catch on quick. Good luck, tiger.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

 

Colter walked into the loft unsure of what he’d find. Would Nora have made dinner like he asked? Would she still be arguing and fighting with him? Would she even be there?

 

He could never predict her.

 

Having sex the night before hadn’t been in his plans. He’d refused because she was a slave, and then he fucks her when she was too drunk to stand on her own. Great fucking self-control, there. Fuck, he was as bad as the damned raider's he swore he'd never become.

 

The scent of food had his mouth watering and question answered. Food sat on the table, a beer, the loft clean as usual. She’d done everything she was supposed to.

 

Including the self-defense, if the bruise on her cheek were any indication. He whistled, a low sound to hide his annoyance at the bruise. “Told you Mason would be hard on you.”

 

Nora brought over her own bowl of food and took her spot beside his chair, waiting until he sat and started eating before she did. “My reaction time is slow.”

 

Colter grasped her chin gently, turning her head to check for anything else, before he released her. “That comes with practice, until it becomes second nature, until it is instinct. Try to learn it a little faster, dove, because I don’t like bruises on you.”

 

She snorted but didn’t respond, eating better than she had since she’d been there. Was it the exercise? The training? Had to build up an appetite for her, and since she insisted on eating only vegetables, she needed the larger amount to get enough nutrition.

 

“Thank you for making dinner,” he said.

 

“It’s part of my chores, isn’t it?”

 

“You know, being nice to you is a bit like trying to pet a feral mutt.”

 

“Woof,” she muttered, voice low.

 

Colter couldn’t even help the laugh at that. He hated admitting it, but the more she seemed to find herself, the more her sense of humor came out, the more she charmed him. “You work with Kenz today?”

 

“Yes. I did a few hours there in the morning.”

 

“You’re a good doctor. How’d you learn?”

 

“I went to school, the same as everyone else, I’d guess.”

 

Colter took a drink of his beer, then shook his head. “Not much schooling anymore. Most people learn on the job or apprentice with someone. How’d you know you wanted to be a doctor? I mean, I get it, haven’t seen many people more compassionate than you, but still. Isn’t a job too many go for.”

 

She stopped eating and went to pushing her food around. Bad topic? “My dad was a doctor. His dad was one. It goes on that way for a long time, so it was expected I’d become one, too.”

 

Fuck, how many people knew anything about their grandparents, let alone any further back? Must come from living in a vault.

 

“You ever thought about doing anything else?”

 

She shook her head. “Not really. I mean, I didn’t want to be a doctor, not as a kid. I think it was mostly that I didn't like being forced into it, but after I saved my first patient? Yeah, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

 

Yeah, he could get that. Weird as it was, he got it. The first time he won a fight? The first time he killed someone who wanted to kill him? Fuck, yeah, finding what you were good at was addictive. “I’ve seen you work. Obvious you’re damn good at it. You know, we could expand the clinic. Probably could use it, really. Give you a better place to work.”

 

She set the fork down, slowly, gaze full of distrust. “You would do that for me?”

 

“I told you last night, I want you to be happy here. If that means you require more stimulating work than cleaning and cooking for me, well, we can figure that out. The night I got stabbed shows our medical set-up isn’t that great, so you could help show me what we need. You were a doctor inside a vault, so setting up a clinic inside a park like this should be easy for you.”

 

“I wasn’t a doctor inside the vault,” she said, then snapped her mouth shut.

 

His eyebrow cocked up at the information. He’d assumed she’d grown up in the vault, which would explain how she could manage to reach her age without any idea of how to care for herself. She'd also said that her husband had been a soldier, and there weren't that many soldiers inside vaults, were there? Fuck, he needed to pay attention. “You couldn’t have become a doctor in the twelve hours between leaving the vault and becoming a slave, which means you were a doctor prior to the vault? Means there was a prior to the vault. Where exactly are you from, dove?”

 

“A long ways away. I told you.”

 

“You will tell me.”

 

“My past is my own. I don’t share it with people I don’t trust, and you’re at the top of that list.”

 

Ouch. Though, fair, he guessed.

 

Nora rose, picking up her bowl. She winced as she stood.

 

“You hurt?”

 

“No. Just sore, I guess.”

 

Not a surprise. He doubted she was used to that much work. Colter stood and took her bowl. “I’ll finish here. You go get into shorts and a tank top and lie down on the bed, face down.”

 

Her fingers refused to release the bowl. “Why?”

 

“Trust me?”

 

She huffed out a laugh before releasing the bowl. “Not even a little.”

 

Colter smiled before picking up his own plate and calling over his shoulder. “Too bad. Do as I say.”

 

He kept his back turned as the rustle of clothing, and then the squeak of the bed told him she’d listened.

 

Well, seemed she could follow directions every now and then.

 

#

 

Nora couldn’t breathe. The sound of dishes in the kitchen signaled Colter’s location, but somehow, she still felt like he was just behind her, ready to pounce.

 

And how stupid was that? They’d already had sex and he hadn’t hurt her. He’d proven himself incapable of harming her, so why was she so damned nervous?

 

Because he was doing something worse than hurting her, he was crawling beneath her skin. He was making her see him in a way she couldn’t allow herself to. Something physical, just screwing, that she could handle. That was forgivable. More? More was betrayal. 

 

The sounds in the kitchen stopped, and then a thud as he piled his armor in the corner, as he always did. Clothing dropped into the hamper, and the bed dipped down.

 

His fingers touched her shoulder blade, and she flinched. “Easy. Figured by now you’d realize I’m not going to hurt you. I swear, taming you is like trying to tame one of the pack’s gazelles. Doesn’t matter how long Mason works at it, they still kick him.” As he spoke, he moved his leg over her so he sat on her upper thighs, just below her ass, and then leaned forward, palms digging into her muscles.

 

Nora let out a weak gasp as he massaged the sore muscles, the sensation a bit like someone poking a massive bruise.

 

“I know,” he said, but didn’t let up. “This is going to make them feel better soon, though. Muscles are resilient, and before you know it, you’ll be able to spar all day without any aches or pains. Then you’ll get old and just walking will hurt.”

 

Nora snorted. “You’re not that old.”

 

“Older than you.”

 

“You really aren’t.”

 

His hands moved to her ribs, pulling something between whimpers and moans from her. “Really? How old are you, then?”

 

Her eyes slid closed, her arms folded, head resting on them. “Um, 240? I’d have to ask Codsworth. He’s always been better at math.” As soon as the words came out, she tensed. The damned massage had relaxed her into saying more than he’d meant to.

 

Colter didn’t stop, only laughing. “Fine, don’t tell me. You will, eventually.”

 

He scooted down so he sat near her knees, hands moving to her lower back. It was the first time he’d really touched her. Not just their quick fuck, not when he’d tried to teach her to fight, but just his hands on her. She hadn’t realized just how large his hands were. It was hard to miss out on how large he was in general, pinned beneath him and without all that anger to distract her.

 

“Why are you being nice to me?”

 

His hands stilled for a moment before he slipped them beneath the fabric of her shirt, still working her lower back. “Because I like you.”

 

“But you won’t free me?”

 

“I can’t. I told you, you’d leave, and you can’t protect yourself. If I let you go, I might as well put a bullet in your head. At least the bullet would be quick, which is better than what you’re looking at out there. Why can’t you just accept your place? Most people would jump at the option of being here, being cared for, given whatever they wanted. You’re safe here, and that’s more than most people can say. So, why won’t you just stay here?”

 

Nora sighed, his hands moving up to cup her ass, squeezing once before working at the muscles there. “I’ve got things to do, important things.”

 

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

 

She wouldn’t tell him the truth, not all of it. “Someone stole something from me, something very important to me. I need to find it.”

 

“And you think you can do that on your own?”

 

“It doesn’t matter; I have to try.”

 

“Let me help you.” His hands cupped her hips, fingers dipping below the line of her shorts. “I’ll help you get whatever it is back. Let me show you it isn’t so bad here with me. I can’t say I’m much for leading, but fucking up people’s day? That I can do, so let me show you."

 

For a minute, it was so damned tempting. Use Colter, and his resources, to find Shaun. Let him take the risk, let him burn the Commonwealth to get her son back.

 

But. . . what would she bring Shaun back to? To a raider park? To a life where she was a slave? Hell, if Colter knew what they were after, would he even be willing to help? He might kill Shaun out of spite, like lions do when taking over a pride.

 

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the small of her back. “You’ll let me help eventually.” He continued the line of kisses to curve of her hip before delivering a small bite and sitting back up.

 

He moved further down and worked on her legs, fingers brushed against her ass far more than could be by accident. His fingers dipped below the line of her shorts, and since she’d put nothing on beneath the short cotton sleeping shorts, he found nothing but skin.

 

A sharp intake of breath from behind her made her grin. At least she could get the upper hand.

 

Or so she thought before he brought one hand to the small of her back, still rubbing as if nothing had changed, and his other fingers slipped into the leg hole of her shorts, to rub against her slit.

 

Nora gasped at the touch, but his other hand continued the massage.

 

“What are you doing?” She asked, breathless.

 

Those damned fingers stroked against her folds, teasing. “What? I’m giving you a massage.”

 

“That’s not a massage.”

 

“Are you sure?” His fingers pressed against her clit, even as her legs closed around his hand. “Pretty sure a massage is rubbing and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

 

Damn him. It was this sort of thing that was harder to deal with. “Stop this,” she snapped.

 

He froze, then pulled his fingers from her slowly, but kept his hand on her back to keep her pinned. “You having second thoughts?”

 

“Stop acting like we’re something else. Stop trying to win me because you won’t, not ever. We aren’t lovers.”

 

“What do you want from me? I’m fucking trying with you but nothing I do is good enough.”

 

“Because you won’t give me the one thing I want! My freedom!”

 

Colter leaned over her, shoving his fingers in front of her face. “You want more than that, clearly. You’ve asked me to fuck you, so don’t pretend you don’t want me.” The light caught on the wetness on his fingers.

 

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t want this, not the sweetness, not whatever the hell you’re doing where you think we’re something more.”

 

“So, what? You just want me to fuck you? Does that take the guilt away for you? You think that makes this all okay with Nate? I bend you over and shove my dick into you, and then you get to walk around pretending like it’s not real, like you didn’t want it?”

 

Nora shut her eyes before any tears fell. “Yes! Okay? Fuck, yes, that’s exactly what I want.”

 

He gripped her hips so hard she yelped before he pulled her up onto all four. One hard yank and her shorts were around her knees. His cock pressed against her slit, and he shoved inside her in one brutal thrust.

 

Nora’s arms collapsed, and she buried her face in the blanket, her sounds muffled. Fuck, it hurt.

 

His hands gripped her hips, pulling backward so he could reach deeper, to add power to every thrust. “When you realize this is a bad fucking idea just tell me, and I’ll stop. But, fuck, this is exactly what you want from me, right? This is what you think I am anyway, so I might as well be that monster, huh?”

 

The slap of skin in the room, the tiny pained sounds torn from her throat, the angry grunts from him, they twisted her stomach, but she still refused to stop him. Asking him to stop was admitting her part in this, and she just. . . couldn’t. She couldn’t be the woman fucking a raider. She was supposed to be so much more than that.

 

She twisted her face so she could breathe, her cheek against the blanket.

 

His hips stopped, and he leaned over her, weight pressing her down, pulling a pained whine from her. He touched her cheek, covered with a different sort of wetness.

 

He pulled out of her, though it was pretty damned clear his erection was flagging. He tugged her shorts back onto her hips, silent, before scooting her over to her side of the bed and helping her to lay flat.

 

The bed shifted as he laid on his side of the bed, his back to her, body tense, breathing ragged.

 

Nora rolled over and went to set a hand on his arm, to say something, though what it was she didn’t know. That she was sorry? That it was stupid? Something.

 

Before she touched him, he yanked away, voice hard. “Don’t fucking touch me right now.”

 

Nora snatched her hand back like he might snap it off.

 

He pulled in a breath that shuddered at the end. This time the words came out softer, but unsteady. “Just don’t touch me. Go to sleep, Nora. I just. . .” He shook his head, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Just go to sleep.”

 

Nora laid there, watching him late into the night, even after he seemed to have drifted off to sleep.

 

What the hell had just happened?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um. . . so. . . I sort of got Horizon Zero Dawn, and also the Mass Effect Trilogy was finally delivered so. . . .
> 
> I'm sorry. I might not be super productive. . . .


	16. Chapter 16

When Colter woke, Nora was already gone. A moment of panic gripped him. Had she run? How would he find her?

 

A note on the nightstand answered his question.

 

_Colter,_

 

_I went to work with Mason. I’ll have dinner ready when you get back._

 

_~Nora_

 

The perfect penmanship had him frowning. Well, everything except the name. That was scribbled into something that did not resemble her name by much.

 

The other letters? Drawn perfectly, with the sort of precision he never really saw anymore.

 

He crumpled the note and tossed it aside before rising to dress.

 

No matter what he did, though, he couldn’t shake the night before. His hand itched, like her tears still clung to it.

 

He’d been lucky to keep dinner down after that. Fuck, it had taken everything he had to stay hard at first. The sounds she’d made, deep and in the back of her throat. Not the moans he liked, not those desperate whimpers when she’d wanted more of his fingers after he’d spanked her. No, these sounds had been drenched in pain. Somehow, he’d kept it up, hard snap of his hips after hard snap.

 

And those sounds had burrowed into him, so damned similar to ones he'd made in the past, back before he'd learned how to use his size and his strength and his viciousness. 

 

He’d wanted to teach her the difference, to show her how miserable what she wanted was. She didn’t really want the callousness she craved. That was only something she used to keep him at a distance, to ease the stupid fucking guilt she refused to let go of.

 

So he’d hoped he’d fuck her hard, one, maybe two thrusts, and she’d tell him to stop. She’d pull away and ask him to gentle, maybe even to kiss her, to touch her. He wanted that. He enjoyed desperate sex, but that wasn’t all he wanted. He wanted to lay her down beneath him, to strip her down, to stroke his hands over her. He hadn’t even seen her naked, yet.

 

They’d fucked the first time with just pulling her underwear out of the way, and the next time, he’d just yanked down her shorts to her knees.

 

Fuck, no wonder she didn’t think there was anything between them, look at what he kept doing.

 

And then he’d hurt her. There was no way he couldn’t have hurt her. He was strong, and he wasn’t small, and she hadn’t been close to ready enough to take him like that. He could imagine her, wincing as she walked, a soreness that should have never happened.

 

He scrubbed his hands over his face.

 

What a fucking disaster.

 

He left the loft, heading over to Kenz. He should be working on his own shit, but he couldn’t focus, not till he dealt with this.

 

He had to make shit right, and Kenz would know how.

 

#

 

Nora was knocked to the ground again, Mason’s large frame surprisingly agile.

 

She’d thought she could avoid his punch, then get in close enough to strike him in the kidneys.

 

The problem? She wasn’t moving very fast. The night before, with Colter, had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit. She’d woken, hurting and unwilling to face Colter like that.

 

If he’d woken, she’d have to face him, and have to address the night before. She was so not ready to address that.

 

Mason stuck his hand out to haul her to her feet. His gaze dropped to her crotch, eyes narrowing. “Ain’t up to training today, are you?”

 

Nora took a deep breath, then stood straighter, pulling her shoulders back. “I won’t learn by taking days off.”

 

“Maybe not, but you ain’t gonna learn if you’re too hurt to practice, either. Come on, tiger, sheath the claws and take it easy.”

 

Mason lead them into the backstage, handing Nora a glass. “Don’t worry. Ain’t whiskey. Don’t need you cozying up to any of my boys again. You about broke Kevin’s heart when Colter pulled you off him.”

 

Nora frowned as she drank the water he’d given her. “Kevin? Wait a minute, I remember winning some caps that I know I didn’t take with me.”

 

Mason chuckled and sat across from her. “Sorry. Rule is, if you get carried out, you lose your caps.”

 

“Figures. I need to start learning the rules before I play.”

 

Mason leaned back, dropping his boots on the table in a loud thumb. “You okay? Got all the chems you could want.”

 

“I don’t like chems.”

 

“I don’t like stimpacks but when I get stabbed, I figure it’s time to give in.”

 

“Didn’t get stabbed.”

 

His gaze dropped again. “Don’t take a genius to figure out why you ain’t moving so fast, tiger. Colter-“

 

She shook her head. “It’s not like that, Mason.”

 

“Right. Whatever you say. Since we ain’t training, and we ain’t talking about whoever fucked ya into limping, what are we talking about?”

 

“History.”

 

“Can’t say that’s a specialty of mine. What, you wanna know about when the bombs fell?”

 

Nora laughed and shook her head. “Believe me, that’s a subject I know. No, I want to know more current history. I need to know about the Commonwealth.”

 

“Ain’t something I know a lot about. Ask me about the raiders? Yeah, I know that shit. The rest? Nah. Look, for that? For that you’re gonna wanna see the Black siblings. Mags and William, they’re from Diamond City and they know all the shit you could ever wanna know.”

 

“They’ll never talk to me.”

 

“You probably said the same shit about me, but look at us here, chatting like we’re buddies. You’re better at making friends than you think. See, you gotta know what people want. The Blacks want caps. You ain’t got that, but I bet you can offer ‘em something to cozy ‘em up to you. Nisha, she mostly wants blood, but she’s got a soft spot for people with vaginas, and luck you, you own one of those. Least, I’m guess you do.” He cocked up an eyebrow and smirked. “Nisha ain’t a fan of men, so lay on your problems with those of us who have dicks and she’ll warm up fast.”

 

“Colter said-“

 

“-Colter wants to keep you to himself. If you want that, then go ahead and keep listening. You want to get out on your own? Start making alliances. Now, I got shit to do that don’t include babysitting your ass. Go on, get out.”

 

“Are you going to tell me to play nice with the other children?”

 

Mason laughed before getting up. “Fuck no. Where would the fun be in that?”

 

A few hours in the clinic, then she headed back to the loft for cleaning and cooking. By the end of it, Nora hurt. She was tired, and sore, so damned sick of running about.

 

For dinner, she made a simple recipe. Beans, hunks of radroach, tatos. It all simmered over the fire to make a chili. Little work, which allowed her to sit on the couch to rest. Sitting turning to lounging, which led to her falling asleep.

 

#

 

The scent of food wasn’t unexpected to Colter, though finding Nora sleeping was. She’d curled up on the couch, arms folded beneath her head.

 

She looked peaceful. No lines of tension or distrust in her face, no wariness. He wanted to see that when she was awake, to see her smile, even. A real smile, the sort that said he'd pleased her, that he'd charmed her. 

 

He crouched down beside her, then slid his fingers down her cheek.

 

She moved into the touch even in her sleep. Not his touch, he knew. Nate’s. Someone else. The husband she’d loved.

 

Her eyes opened, though when they landed on him, she didn’t pull away. That was something, at least. As soon as she woke more, she snapped her gaze toward the food. “Oh, dinner. I’m sorry,” she rushed out.

 

He set a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. You’ve got to be worn out if you fell asleep.”

 

She sat up, flinching as she did so, her hand going to her lower stomach. A sharp breath whistled between her teeth.

 

Colter remained crouched in front of her, eyes pinned to where her hand held. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her knee. He was shit at apologies, partly because apologies didn’t mean shit. They were nothing but worthless, cheap words.

 

Instead, he lifted the pack he’d brought from the floor and set it in her lap. “I’ll get the food, dove. We’ll eat here, on the couch.”

 

She said nothing, but the movement of the fabric from the pack when he went to get the food told him she was examining it.

 

The food was some sort of chili? Chunks of meat had him frowning. What was she going to eat?

 

But, she’d been asleep, hadn’t she? Too tired to cook herself something?

 

He sighed, wishing he were a better cook. “Will you eat this if I make sure there is no molerat in it? If not, tell me. We’ll get something else for you.”

 

“I’ll eat it like that,” she said, voice soft.

 

Colter nodded, using a spoon to fish the pieces of meat from her bowl and plop them into his as he served up the food. He returned to the couch, to Nora who clutched the items in her hands.

 

“Why?”

 

“I shouldn’t have done that, last night. I fucked up; I know it. Even if you asked me to, I should have never done that. Figured, maybe this would help. Wish I could have gotten you back your vault suit, too, but the raiders who brought you in sold that off.” He set her bowl in front of her, on the table.

 

She didn’t seem in any hurry to put down the two items he’d gotten back for her. The pipboy, and a string that had two wedding rings on it. He’d almost not given her the rings, not wanting her to have a reminder of Nate, of that old life.

 

He’d held the damned rings in his hand, considered throwing them into the fire. She’d never know, and he couldn’t win any affection if he kept reminding her of her fucking husband.

 

But he’d have known, and he just couldn’t do that. So he’d stuck them into the pack and given them to her.

 

Her fingers rubbed over the rings, then clutched them in her hand. “Thank you.”

 

He nodded, but said nothing.

 

Nora continued to stare at her hand. Her voice came out soft. “He wasn’t perfect, I know that. We weren’t perfect. It’s just easier to think we were, I guess, to pretend like everything was wonderful. I guess that’s easier to do when someone is dead.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me.” He’d wanted so badly to hear about how horrible Nate was, to reassure himself that the husband wasn’t the shining beacon of perfection Nora painted him as, but when she spoke? It hurt him to hear her hurt.

 

“I know. Look, I married him because I was supposed to. It’s the same reason I did everything else, because it was expected of me. He was kind, but he didn’t want to marry me either. We did as we were expected, nothing else. I miss him, but we weren’t perfect.”

 

Colter took a bite of the food as he let the words sink in. It wasn’t just the words, it was the longing beneath them. All those things she’d pretended were true, she wanted them. It was louder than anything she said, that she craved the love she’d not had with Nate.

 

“You know, you haven't been someone who does what's expected so far. I expected you to be a good slave and listen, you haven’t. I expected you to not argue, but you do, constantly. I expected you to follow orders, and yet you never do. I find it hard to believe you’ve ever done what was expected of you.”

 

She slid the pipboy on, locking it around her wrist. She didn't put on the rings, as he'd expected, but dropped them on the table beside the bowl. “I was different then. I bet you wish you’d met me then, when I would have done what you expected.”

 

Colter laughed and shook his head. “No. Even though it makes no fucking sense, I think I’m growing to like when you surprise me.”

 

The way her cheeks flushed and she tucked her hair behind her ear had him smiling. 

 

Well fuck, maybe there was a chance after all. 


	17. Chapter 17

 

Waking up to the fucking sounds Nora was making was a hell of a thing. Her eyes were shut tight, lines of tension between her eyebrows. She'd wrapped around him and her hips moved forward. Only thing between her cunt and his thigh was the scrap of damp cloth she wore as underwear.

 

Fuck, the girl was frisky in the mornings. Not that he'd complain. 

 

He shifted, rolling her to her back and sliding over her in one fast move.

 

Her eyes snapped open on a gasp.

 

The best fucking thing? The way she hooked a heel around his thigh to lift her hips to him. No hesitation, no fear, just desire. And with her eyes open? She knew who the fuck it was.

 

But, he couldn’t. He leaned in to kiss her, deep and hard, like a brand. By the time he broke it, she was panting and following his lips to continue it.

 

“You were rutting against me, dove. Seems like you might be needing some attention?”

 

She only nodded, eyes open and staring up at him like he’d wanted.

 

He pressed a kiss to her jaw, then scraped his teeth over her pulse. It quickened beneath his lips. “I want to lick you until you come, Nora. Will you let me do that? Will you trust me enough to let me get between your thighs?”

 

“Don’t you want to. . .” Her gaze dropped between them.

 

“One more day. I was really rough with you.”

 

“I’m fine, now.”

 

“You will be, but see, I have plans to take you plenty, don’t worry about that. The thing about toys is that you have to make sure to take care of them, so I want one more day to make sure you’re better.” He drug his tongue down the column of her throat, dipping it into the indent between her collar bones.

 

“Please, Colter.”

 

She almost undid him with that please, with the way his name came out on a moan.

 

He used his teeth to tease one nipple, through her shirt, before casting a glance up at her. “I hurt you last time. I can’t handle trying to have sex with you and risk hurting you again. Let me make it up to you; I need to. Last time is like this bad taste in my mouth I can’t spit out.” He shoved away the guilt to offer her a smirk. “Hoping you can help me with that taste.”

 

Nora slid a hand over his cheek, then pulled in a deep breath and nodded.

 

Colter wasn’t a man to throw away good fortune, so he slid down further until he could grasp the hips of her underwear and tug them down her legs. He tossed them aside, then used his hands to spread her thighs.

 

He hoisted them up, over his shoulders, then leaned in. It angled her up, so he didn't have to lie flat.

 

Finesse wasn’t his thing. He’d always been the sort of man who was a hammer rather than a delicate tool. So he licked up her cunt in one long, hard swipe, her wetness coating his tongue.

 

When was the last time he’d gone down on a woman? Fuck, it had been a while. Much as he loved fucking, he didn’t much trust the people he fucked not to stab him in the back, which meant he tended to be careful about the position he put himself in.

 

But with Nora? With Nora he didn’t have to worry about it.

 

He pointed his tongue and pressed it into her, wanting to be inside her somehow, needing it. Her cunt tightened, so he pulled back and licked over her clit.

 

His arm reached around her thigh, to the top of her cleft, so he could pull the hood back on her clit.

 

Her fingers wrapped in the blankets of the bed, her hips shifting as he rubbed his tongue over her clit. He went up one side, then down the other.

 

Her heels dug into his back, her thighs tightening around his head. Fuck, he’d never get enough of her.

 

He’d fucked enough women, enough men, had enough meaningless sex, but this was the first time he wanted more. It wasn't just a quick release, a fuck behind a building while they were both drunk. This was different. 

 

Nora squirmed beneath him, trying to get away, trying to get closer. She gasped, moaned, his name shoved out between her teeth, back arching then bowing.

 

He slid one hand around her hip to hold her still for his onslaught, never slowing or going easy. She didn’t need easy. She was stronger than she realized, stronger than he gave her credit for, that was for fucking sure.

 

He raked his teeth over her clit, rewarded when she threw an arm down, hand wrapping around his hand, nails digging in, as she came.

 

She didn’t scream, didn’t call out his name, none of the bullshit women sometimes tried to endear themselves to him. She pulled in one breath as her muscles tightened down, like she couldn’t breathe.

 

He didn’t let up, though he kept his teeth away, using his lips to mouth at her instead. After a moment, she pulled in another breath as she collapsed backward on the bed, like all that energy had drained out of her.

 

Her heel pressed into his shoulder to push him away.

 

He was so damned tempted to pin her down, to keep his mouth on her, to ignore the rest of the world and just see her come against and again. He wanted to do it until she begged and pleaded, until her voice went hoarse, until she was covered in sweat and he could lie down knowing she’d enjoyed it. He wanted to push her to her limits, to stretch those limits. 

 

Maybe another time. She didn’t trust him enough for that, not yet.

 

So he pressed one more kiss to her cunt before pulling back and wiping his mouth on the inside of her thigh.

 

He expected her to snap her legs closed, to pull away. She’d want to distance them, now. He knew it, was ready for it.

 

What he wasn’t ready for was her sitting up and pulling him in for a kiss. A thank you? Forgiveness? An apology for the what had happened before?

 

Fuck if he knew, and he really didn’t fucking care.

 

 

#

 

Nora didn’t care for Mags Black. The woman was perfect. She was tall, hair pulled back and fluffed up into a flawless style. Her clothing, which Nora could only describe as femmefatale, fit her beautifully.

 

The way she smiled at Nora had her uneasy, as well.

 

Nora had managed to pull herself out of Colter’s bed, despite having no real desire to do so. That scared her more than anything, the way he was wearing her down. Each kind touch, each unexpected word, scratched away another layer of her defenses.

 

She couldn’t even pretend it was about Nate anymore.

 

If only things were different. If she’d come there as a raider, or a trader, or anything but a slave, what would things have been like? Would she have ended up getting close to him? Would he have seen her as just another enemy?

 

Hell, maybe they’d simply have ended up on opposite sides of a battlefield, forced to kill one another.

 

Nora shoved the thoughts away, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

 

Mags studied her nails as if Nora were not only not a threat, but not even interesting. “And what exactly are you offering?”

 

“Stimpacks. I can make them, and I will use your chem lab here to create them for you as long as it takes for you to give me lessons. So, if you can talk for two hours, I’ll spend two hours creating better stimpacks for you than you can buy or make yourself.”

 

She pressed her lips together, and Nora was sure she was about to say no.

 

Until William, her brother, stepped forward. “Sounds good to me.”

 

Mags turned to glare at her brother. “I don’t have time to try and teach Colter’s pet tricks.”

 

“Well, I do. I’ll handle it. If her product isn’t worth it, then we only lost what, an hour or two? You know better stimpacks could give us an edge. We either use them for our people, or we sell them for a pretty profit.”

 

“Fine. She’s your problem.” Mags turned and walked from the main parlor room, shoes clicking against the floor in a way that reminded Nora of her mother’s heels.

 

Once alone, William cocked his fingers to get her to follow him. He took them out of the main room and back to where a chemistry table was set up. “Our set up isn’t perfect, but it should be fine for what you need.”

 

Nora nodded, sorting through the materials they had on hand. More than enough to increase the potency of the stimpacks, and she could do this work with her eyes closed, so she could create them while listening.

 

And she needed to listen. She needed to learn, to figure out how this new world worked.

 

It wasn’t like she could walked out into it and expect to find Shaun without any knowledge.

 

William took a seat beside the table and nodded at her pipboy. “Hand me that.”

 

Nora cradled her arm against her stomach. She’d just gotten it back.

 

“I’m not going to steal it from you. You want information on the Commonwealth, right? Well, that thing has a map, but unless it’s been updated, the names are all wrong. So, hand it over, and I’ll mark cities, settlements, and notes to the map while I explain things to you.”

 

That sounded. . . fair. Nora unlatched the pipboy and handed it over.

 

“Thanks. Now, what do you know already? We’ll waste time if I’m explaining things you already know.”

 

Nora moved the items on the table, sorting them to make her job easier. Set it up like an assembly line for efficiency. “Not much, honestly. I know where Vault 111 is, and just south of there is Sanctuary. Concord is somewhat south of there and, well, that’s it.”

 

“I heard you came from a vault. I guess we really are starting from the ground up, here. What do you want to know? Just a geography buff?”

 

Nora began her work, fingers moving deftly to create the medicine to fill each syringe. The action easer her, calmed her, a familiar motion that she understood. “I won’t be here forever. When I do escape, I’m going to need to understand the Commonwealth. Since I’m here for now, I might as well learn what I can.”

 

“Makes sense, I guess. Alright, let’s start with Diamond City. It’s the largest city, and despite them being a bit too full of themselves, if you need anything, that’s the pace to start.”

 

Nora listened as William spoke, interrupting to ask questions, while he went through the main points, adding details where she inquired.

 

He was friendly in a way Mason wasn’t. It wasn’t that Mason wasn’t friendly, but he. . . wasn’t friendly. Every smile of Mason’s was a smirk, a threat, a game. William reminded her of someone she’d meet anywhere. A bit egotistical, but she supposed that came with the territory of running raider gangs.

 

Still, he offered information without hesitation, quick to correct any misconceptions Nora had, any confusion, to make sure she understood.

 

“We better call it a day,” he said, standing and stretching his back. Only when he did that did she realize just how sore her own back had grown. How long had they been at it?

 

“Already?” The idea of ending the lesson bothered her. There was so much she needed to know still. Hearing about the cities, the groups, the factions, it made her realize how ill-prepared she was. How could she find Shaun when she had no idea about the world?

 

“It’s been five hours, Nora. The sun is already down.”

 

Five hours?

 

Nora cursed as she finished the stimpack she worked on and righted all the equipment. Colter would be back already, and she’d have to explain where she’d been. Would he be angry? Would he forbid her from coming back? He didn't like Mason around her, and she couldn't imagine he'd be any happier with William.

 

She’d cleaned that morning after he'd left, worked in the clinic, done her time with Mason. She’d just lost track in taking to William.

 

He handed her back her pipboy, which she snapped to her wrist and checked the time.

 

Great, Colter had probably been at the loft for an hour already.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 

Nora nodded. “Yes. Tomorrow.” She rushed out in the already dark park.

 

She had made no dinner, yet. That meant it made more sense to make Colter wait a few extra minutes and pick something up at the diner for them to eat. Easier to get out of trouble if she showed up with food.

 

She ordered, and the waitress gave her the food in a bag. They’d barely been set down on the counter before Nora grabbed them and ran out of the diner. The faster she got back, the less trouble she'd be in, and the less she'd have to explain. 

 

She rounded a corner before someone wrapped an arm around her throat and yanked her against a solid body, a hand covering her mouth.

 

Hot breath and bourbon spilled over her ear before teeth closed around the lobe in a hard bite. “Looks like I finally caught you, honey.”

 

Gage.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> attempted non-con in this chapter. Warning for anyone for who that might be a trigger.

 

Nora tried to bite down on the hand covering her mouth, but the calluses meant she couldn’t get a grip, only the taste of dirt filling her mouth.

 

Gage chuckled, the rumble coming through his chest and into her back. The idea that he was amused by her struggles pissed her off, helping her to focus, to push away the fear.

 

She lifted her foot to stomp down, but he shifted his foot out of the way, and deflected her elbow strike.

 

“Sorry, honey. I already learned your tricks. Took a while for you to be stupid enough to get out by yourself.” His free hand grabbed her breast in a tight grip, hard enough she cried out, the sound muffled by the hand over her mouth. His fingers dug into her skin. “Saw you limping yesterday. Colter finally fuck you good? Told you it was only a matter of time. Now I can have my fun with ya, so why don’t you behave yourself for once and just take it? Bend over, hands on the wall, and I’ll finish fast. Won’t break ya, won’t hurt ya too bad. Just spread those legs and give in.”

 

He released her mouth, and she sucked in a breath to scream. The loft wasn’t far, and enough raiders were usually crawling about that she could catch someone’s attention. Pain in her side stopped the scream in her throat, though. He’d released her breast and hit her, in her ribs. Cloth was shoved into her mouth, old and filthy. Another piece tied behind her head to keep it still. She pressed her tongue against the cloth to dislodge it, but the thing wouldn’t move.

 

Gage wrapped a hand in her hair to pull her back against him again, then shoved his other hand down the front of her pants. The fit was tight, not allowing him much room, but the feeling of his fingers against her folds had her retching. Worse was when he pushed them into her.

 

“Just relax. Won’t be so bad. Hell, after the first couple times, you’ll get used it, might even start to like it. I ain’t gotta be rough, could be gentle.”

 

Nora lifted her hand behind her, wanting to scratch his good eye out. Her fingers caught his eyepatch, and the flesh beneath.

 

“You fucking cunt,” he growled out, hand yanking from her pants, using his grip in her hair to fling her down. Her head hit the ground, hard, and everything went fuzzy.

 

He rolled her onto her back, unbuttoning her pants, knees pressed against her thighs to keep them open. “Gonna make you real fucking sorry for that.”

 

“Nora!” Colter’s voice sounded so damned far away and angry. It made her smile, even as her vision wavered. He was pissed, probably pissed that she was late and hadn’t made dinner. She wanted to see him mad, to hear him yell at her. She wanted to hear those empty stupid threats he made.

 

The bag of food laid on the ground, trampled, and she frowned at it. What would they eat now?

 

It was then she realized, she wasn’t doing very well. Her vision dimmed, the edges going dark.

 

Gage’s gaze was down at her, face hard. He pulled the eyepatch back into place, covering the skin she’d wounded. “You keep your fucking mouth shut about this and you can live another day. You tell him shit, not only won’t he believe it, but I’ll take you out and leave you for the gatorclaws to eat. You got it?”

 

Nora wanted to say something witty, something heroic and amazing back, but she just couldn’t get her brain to work.

 

Oh, and there was still cloth in her mouth.

 

Gage picked up his rifle and unloaded shots down the alleyway, at a wall. “I found her, Colter! Fuck, someone attacked her, but she’s breathing.”

 

Colter’s face came into sight, angry and worried and really fucking angry.

 

It was that face that let her give into the darkness.

 

#

 

Blood covered Colter. He knew he’d killed a few people, idiot raiders who’d gotten too close. They deserved it for being fucking stupid. He didn’t remember who it was, only remembered Gage yanking him off one. 

 

Seeing Nora hurt, a gash in her head, pants undone and partly pulled off, cloth in her mouth, he’d lost it.

 

Gage hadn’t seen who’d done it, the night too dark. He said he thought he’d nailed one, and they found skin and blood beneath Nora’s nails.

 

At least she’d fought. So far, no one with nail marks had been found, so they had to wait until she woke up.

 

They’d hauled her back to their place, then sent for Mackenzie. Gage had stayed there, a surprisingly helpful presence. Gage was more level-headed than Colter, especially when Colter lost it.  

 

He didn’t lose it like often, not anymore. Leave it to Nora to manage to bring that out in him.

 

A hand on his arm had him grasping the throat of the person who dared to touch him.

 

Mackenzie’s frightened eyes met him. Right. Get it together.

 

He released her, and she grasped the wall to stay upright as she coughed.

 

“How is she?”

 

The doctor recovered quickly, but that was one reason he’d always liked her. Not much kept her down. “She took a hit to the head. The stimpack will repair the damage, but I also gave her med-x because she’ll wake up hurting. She'd got bruising on her, scrapes, nothing serious.”

 

“Her pants were still on but. . .” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

 

“I don’t think she was raped. I removed her pants to check for more injuries. There’s bruising on her thighs and some cuts between her legs.” She stumbled over the phrasing, probably afraid of Colter’s reaction. “I think whoever attacked her caught her with their nails.”

 

Colter’s temper started to slide again. His hands opened and closed, wanted to tear someone else apart. Didn’t really matter who, not right then.

 

His cheek stung, hardly something he noticed, until he met the hard gaze of Mackenzie.

 

She’d slapped him.

 

He curled his fingers into her collar and yanked her to her tiptoes. “Don’t you ever fucking touch me.”

 

“Then don’t look like you’re going to attack someone when I have a wounded patient here. Go clean up, Colter. You’re covered in blood and I doubt that’s the sight you want Nora waking up to.”

 

His lip lifted in a snarl, but he released her. She was right.

 

Nora didn’t need to see that shit.

 

Colter left the bed and headed to the small bathroom area to clean up.

 

#

 

Nothing hurt, which Nora found really strange because she remembered the attack. Her fingers touched her head, found it bandaged, but no pain.

 

“I gave you Med-x,” came Mackenzie’s kind voice.

 

“I don’t like Med-x.” Nora’s voice came out on a croak.

 

“Sorry, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel when you woke up. You hit your head, but that was the only real injury. Do you hurt anywhere else I need to know about?”

 

Nora shook her head. “Nothing hurts. It should, though, right? This should hurt.” Nora’s gaze dropped, and she realized she was naked. Her eyebrows drew together.

 

Mackenzie handed her a shirt, large enough it would bag to her mid-thighs. Had to be Colter’s, right? And why the hell did that make her feel better?

 

For reasons she wasn’t willing to think about.

 

She pulled it on, ignoring the scrapes on her hands, the ones on her knees, from where Gage had thrown her into the dirt.

 

Mackenzie didn’t answer her question, but maybe Nora hadn’t actually spoken out loud. She wasn’t sure. Mackenzie let her voice drop low, like she didn’t want it to carry. “You were found with your pants partly off, Nora. You have scratches on your labia. Do I need to do an exam? There wasn’t any blood, but, well, tell me, Nora. You know this better than I do.”

 

The feeling of Gage’s fingers against her, in her, they made her want to throw up again. She shook her head so fast she became dizzy again. “No. They didn’t. . . just, no. I’m okay.”

 

So, maybe okay was totally not what exactly accurate. She didn’t feel okay. Still, the med-x made her able to hold it together.

 

It pushed back her anxiety and her fears.

 

Mackenzie nodded and leaned in closer. “There’s another matter. The stretch marks on your stomach, Nora. I’ve delivered enough children to recognize the signs. I would say you had a child no more than three months ago. I’m not trying to pry, but medically, I need to know.”

 

Nora sighed, closing her eyes. Shaun had been a month old the day the bombs fell. She’d lost count of days after that. It had been, six weeks, perhaps, since then?

 

“He’s two and a half months old? I’m not sure, I guess.”

 

“He’s alive? Since you didn’t have the child, I had assumed the worst.”

 

Nora shook her head. “Someone stole him from me. They killed Nate, and they stole my son. I don’t know where he is, or if he’s alive, or if anyone is taking care of him, or if he’s crying for me and alone.”

 

A cloth appeared in front of her eyes, and she took it. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. Damn this med-x.

 

She lifted her gaze to thank Mackenzie, but it wasn’t the doctor who stood in front of her. It was Colter.

 

He’d heard everything.

 


	19. Chapter 19

Colter didn’t say anything about what Nora had said, though, like he knew the information hadn’t been for him. Instead, he pulled a chair over and sat in it, far enough away that they didn’t touch, but close enough she didn’t feel alone. How did he know what to do? “What do you remember, Nora? Who attacked you?”

 

Nora’s gaze moved past Colter, to Gage, who stood by the lift. His lips moved into a grin, and he set his hand on his pistol.

 

A warning. If she said anything, he could kill Colter and her before anyone could stop him. He was reminding her that he had more power than she did. This was still his game.

 

For now.

 

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “It was dark, and they were behind me.”

 

Colter leaned forward, elbows resting against his knees. “Nothing? You’re sure?”

 

“Think real hard, honey,” Gage said from behind Colter. “I’m sure you can remember something.”

 

“Only that they were a coward,” Nora said, words sliding from her lips because of the chems more than her own bravery.

 

Gage’s smile didn’t seem to shift, but it turned cold, a threat in it.

 

Colter lifted his hand. “Thanks, Gage, but I think we’re set for now.”

 

“Sure, boss. You take care of yourself, Nora. This place is awfully fucking dangerous.” Gage winked once before he left.

 

Mackenzie left next, leaving chems in case Nora wanted them later, and reminding them both to call her if she was needed.

 

“About what I said-“

 

Colter shook his head. “Don’t. We’ll discuss it, trust me. You should have told me before, but that can wait until tomorrow. You need some food?”

 

Her stomach rolled at the idea of trying to eat. “No. I got you food, though. The bag. . .” She sighed as she remembered the smashed bag.

 

“Doesn’t matter. You want me to take the couch?” Colter hadn’t moved from the chair, this threat and protector all in one. “I’d offer to sleep somewhere else, but honestly? I’m not about to fucking leave you after tonight.”

 

Nora stared down at his hands only to find spots of blood, as if he'd tried to wash but failed to get it all. 

 

His gaze dropped, then he covered that hand with the other, to hide to blood. "Sorry. Thought I got it all." 

 

"Is that my blood?" 

 

"No. Killed a few raiders who decided to get too close."

 

"Why? What did they do?" 

 

"They got in my way." He looked away, like he didn't want her to see something. "So, couch?"

 

Nora shook her head. “Lie down next to me.”

 

He didn’t argue, crawling into the bed beside her, staying dressed. Neither spoke, they didn’t touch, just laid there, the mattress angling slightly beneath his weight.

 

After a moment, Nora started to tremble. It didn’t take long before she shook, and wrapping her arms around her didn’t help stop it.

 

A sigh. “You want to come over here? I can’t say it’ll help, but I’m offering.”

 

Nora scooted over, placing her head on his shoulder, one of his arms beneath her.

 

He pulled her closer with the arm beneath her, then pulled the blanket up around them both. The warmed, his arms tight around her, it helped. For a minute, Gage wasn’t that big a threat, not against Colter. She gave herself over to his strength, burying her face against his neck.

 

He didn’t smell like Gage, and the scent of Colter, who she’d slept beside night after night, helped.

 

He made soft noises, ones that lulled her away from panic. Before she knew it, her eyes had slid closed, and she’d fallen asleep.

 

#

 

Nora ate breakfast, not with the enthusiasm he’d have liked, but at least she ate. She’d not woken from any nightmares that he could tell, but the med-x still in her system had probably been why. When she’d risen in the morning, he’d let her go. She’d made breakfast, seeming lost to the motions, into comfortable routine of it.

 

She hadn’t flinched away from him when he’d gotten up, but hadn’t spoken to him, either.

 

“How did you know?”

 

He brought his gaze up, trying to figure out what she meant. “Know what?”

 

“Last night, you knew exactly what I needed. How?”

 

Oh, that. He wanted to clamp his mouth shut, to not say a word. It wasn’t something he really wanted to share, especially not with Nora, but fuck. He owed her, especially after this. He should have kept a better eye on her, should have been more careful. You didn't take ownership of someone and not protect them. 

 

“You sure you want this story? Isn’t a happy one.”

 

“Well, you know mine, at least some of it. Seems fair.”

 

He shrugged, trying to play it off that it didn’t matter. “Fair enough. I wasn’t raised a raider, okay? My dad was a merc, a good one, too. He taught me to fight, to take care of myself. Lived in a good settlement, really far from here, but if there’s one thing that draws raiders, it’s good settlements."

 

She nodded and motioned for him to continue. 

 

“A raider gang attacked one day, wiped out the settlement. Dad took out a number of them, but he wasn’t much of a match. I was, fuck, fourteen? Maybe. See, Dad was already trying to teach me to control my temper. Those raiders I killed last night, that's an example of what happens when I lose it. I’ve never been good at it, and he’d always said if I could just learn that, I’d be unstoppable. Well, I didn’t fucking control my temper that day. I lost it, wanting nothing more to than to kill every last fucking raider.”

 

“Did you?”

 

He laughed, a bitter sound. “No, but I guess I killed enough of them to be interesting to the raider boss, because when one of them landed a lucky blow to my head, when they finally knocked me out, he didn’t kill me. I woke up later, drafted into the gang.”

 

Nora dropped her gaze to her food, confusion over her features. “You became a raider? After what they did to your father?”

 

“Didn’t really give me a choice. Join up or die. My Dad tried to teach me a lot, but a lesson that stuck? Being dead is the end of the game. So, yeah, I joined up.”

 

“That doesn’t explain how you knew how to help me last night.”

 

He rubbed his hand over his face. Yeah, he was just fucking talking so he didn’t have to tell this part, right? “Look, raider initiates are not a whole lot different than slaves, okay? No wasn’t really the sort of thing you could say, not if you wanted to stay healthy.” He flashed a smile to dull the sting of admitting this. “So I wasn’t healthy a lot. Got my share of beatings from fighting back, not that it did a hell of a lot of good. Took me a long time before I was strong enough where people didn’t dare anymore.” He waited for disgust, for pity, for something.

 

“That’s why you said you didn’t fuck slaves, wasn’t it?”

 

He pushed his food away, unable to stomach anymore. “Yeah. I know how it feels to be forced, Nora, which is why that’s a hard line for me. I’ve done a lot of shit, a lot of things I’m not proud of. I’m not a good person, you know that, but rape? Nah. I know how that fucking feels and I wouldn’t do it to anyone else.” He still didn’t lift his gaze, not wanting to see whatever it was that was there. “I get that knowing this isn’t a great reassurance that I can protect you. Right? What sort of man has that happen? But, look, that isn’t me anymore. That was a long time ago, before I toughened up, before I became who I am now. I can still keep you safe.”

 

The chair creaked, scratching along the floor. Was she going to leave? Walk out? It wouldn’t shock him, but it also was stupid. He couldn’t let her leave.

 

Her fingers slid under his chin, lifting his face until he looked into her eyes. She leaned forward, over the table, and brushed her lips against his.

 

It wasn’t a kiss full of passion or desire. It was soft, gentle, like something she was testing out. He reciprocated, keeping it soft.

 

After last night, there was no way anything was happening, not that day, but something more wasn’t the point of a kiss like this. This sort of kiss was just about something he'd never really figured they'd have. A connection. 

 

She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his.

 

He wanted to drag her closer, but this wasn’t the time for that. Instead, he pulled back, and she took her seat again. “About the rest of what happened. That’s why you won’t consider staying, isn’t it? Because you need to find your son, right?”

 

“Yes. I have to find out who took him. I have to get him back.”

 

“And you never thought about telling me that?”

 

“Would it have made a difference? If I told you that first day that I had a son who needed me, would you have let me go?”

 

He said nothing back, because they both knew the answer. No, he wouldn’t have released her. Even now, knowing, he wouldn’t let her go. Why? So she could die chasing down a child? That didn’t make any sense. The kid needed a mother, not a fucking corpse. 

 

“That’s what I thought.”

 

“So let me help. I told you I’d help you find whatever it was that was stolen. Knowing it was a child, the offer still stands. Let me finish my work here, and we’ll go.”

 

“Free me, first.”

 

He shook his head. “No. I can’t do that.”

 

“You can! You just won’t. What life would I be bringing him back to? To be raised with a slave as a mother? When I hugged him, he’d have to be careful not to scratch his face on my collar? What sort of life is that for a kid?”

 

“A better life than most people have. Understand this, Nora, I will never release you. You can hate me all you want for it, but that’s how it is. You’re mine, and I won’t lose you. I’ll help you recover your child, I’ll take care of you, but I won’t ever free you.”

 

Nora’s back straightened, eyes going hard, as if he’d slapped her across the face. She didn’t yell, didn’t curse, and that was almost scarier. She picked up her bowl and his, then walked to the kitchen to set them down, the clink of the dishes against the counter loud in the silent room.

 

Colter stood, ready to argue more, to explain more, to make her understand that he was doing this for her own good. He’d care for her, for her child. Hell, maybe she’d let him raise it as his own. They could be happy if she only understood, if she just listened.

 

Before he could say any of that, she shook her head, leaning over the counter. “Join up or die. Is that it? I guess you learned a lot from that first raider boss.”

 


	20. Chapter 20

 

Nora slammed her fist against the lift controls, despite the fact she knew they wouldn’t work. Colter had shut down the damned thing before he’d left, telling her she had no reason to go anywhere.

 

He’d offered Gage as a bodyguard, but one look at her face and he’d retracted that idea. It seemed he thought keeping her locked up was the better option.

 

“Men are fools,” came the smooth voice of a woman Nora didn’t recognize.

 

She twisted to come face to face, or rather face to mask, with a woman dressed in disciple gear.

 

Nisha? Had to be.

 

“They think they can lock us up, that we’re delicate little flowers for them to pick and place as they wish.”

 

Nora frowned, and the woman pulled her mask off, dropping it on the table. Dark eye shadow, or something like it, smudged around her eyes made it so she couldn’t look kind, even if she smiled, and Nora doubted she ever smiled.

 

“Colter shut the lift off.”

 

“And barred the door. Brutes forget that force isn’t the only way to accomplish something. It is easy to climb the back mountain and scale onto the roof, then in through the windows.”

 

“And you did all that to come visit me?”

 

She reached over the bar and took a can of purified water, then tossed one to Nora. “I hear most of what happens in this park. Colter’s slave getting attacked, and then him killing, what was the final count? Seven raiders, I think? That’s the sort of thing I take notice of.” She hopped onto the bartop, crossing her legs and setting her hand behind her. “Not to mention, you’ve gone to see Mason, and you’ve spent time with William. I was starting to think you didn’t like me.”

 

Nora opened her own water and took a drink, trying to look casual, trying to not notice to blood that coated Nisha’s many blades. “I needed Mason’s help, and William’s.”

 

“You need my help, trust me.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I can see myself in you. It was a long time ago, now, but I used to be like you. I kept losing the fucking game and didn’t know why. You’re losing the game, Nora, and you don’t know why.”

 

“Because I’m not strong enough.”

 

Nisha laughed, the sound shrill. “Wrong. You’re losing because you’re playing their game. See, men have been setting the rules for a very long time, so they stacked it so they could win. It’s like if you let a molerat create a game. It decides the race will be digging. It challenges a deathclaw, who assumes they must be weak because they can never dig as fast as the molerat.”

 

“The lesson is we all have our own talents. I’ve heard this story before.”

 

Nisha laughed and shook her head. “No. The lesson is that the fucking deathclaw should have just killed the molerat instead of playing his game. Stop playing their game, Nora. Their game got you turned into a slave. Their game had someone shoving filthy cloth in your mouth and trying to rape you. Their game has you trapped up here like some pet.”

 

Nora sighed, before taking a seat on a stool beside Nisha. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re, well, you.”

 

“We all start somewhere. I started with the man who raised me. He decided I’d learned too much, that I was too good, that I’d become a threat. He tried to kill me, left me for dead. That was his game, his rules. My game was to find him when he was sleeping and slit his throat. Determine the rules of the game, and you’ll win every time.”

 

“That’s what this place is, isn’t it? Just changing the rules and cheating until you win?”

 

“That’s what life is, Nora. The sooner you realize it, the better.”

 

“Are you pestering our little historian?” William stepped off the lift.

 

Nora frowned and pointed at the lift. “Colter shut that down.”

 

“And it isn’t that hard to turn it back on. He’s always underestimating people.”

 

Nisha picked up her mask and slid it back on. “Spoiled brats annoy me.” She didn’t say goodbye, instead taking the lift down without another word.

 

“Well, isn’t she fun?”

 

Nora gathered the empty water can from Nisha and set it on the bartop. “Is everyone going to visit me?”

 

“Maybe.” He shrugged, sticking his hands into his pockets. “I’m not in charge of everyone. Like it or not, you’ve made acquaintances here, and when you get yourself hurt, people want to come check in.”

 

“Lucky me. Now I’ll only end up in more trouble when Colter comes back and figures out you all crawled in here.”

 

William pointed at the lift as he poured himself a drink from the bar. “I didn’t crawl in. I used the lift.”

 

“Much better, he’ll appreciate that.”

 

William laughed before taking a seat, letting Nora know he was going nowhere.

 

#

 

Colter reactivated the lift and took it to the top.

 

Nora was going to be pissed. She hadn’t been happy when he’d ordered her to stay put, and he could damn near see the steam escaping her ears when he secured the door and deactivated the lift at the bottom.

 

So maybe it was paranoid, but after the trouble she’d gotten herself into, he couldn’t let her stroll around. He wasn't sure he'd ever forget how she looked with that damned cloth in her mouth, the blood on her head. Even thinking about it had his vision flickering. 

 

She didn’t want Gage with her, and he didn’t trust anyone else.

 

It meant that when he had things to do, she needed to stay put in their loft, whether she liked it or not. She could forget the walks and the time in the clinic and whatever the fuck else she wanted. If he wasn't by her side, she was staying put. 

 

The lift reached the top, and Colter halted at the sight of Mason with his arms around Nora.

 

He moved forward, ready to kill the Alpha, when Mason twisted his arm to throw Nora to the left. She recovered and swiped her leg against the back of his knees. The dirty move knocked his legs out and he hit the ground, hard. She rolled over to straddle him, a blade to his throat.

 

He grinned up at her, like the proudest asshole in the world. “Nice move, tiger.”

 

Nora chuckled and crawled off Mason, offering him a hand to help him to his feet. He took the hand, despite the fact that she couldn’t have helped him much given his much heavier frame. She handed him back the blade. “I’m learning.”

 

Mason slid the knife into its place at his belt before grabbing Nora’s chin. “Knew you would. Next time someone tries to force you to do shit you ain’t keen on, try that, yeah?”

 

She nodded, offering a smile that turned Colter’s stomach. “Yeah, Alpha.”

 

“The fuck is this?” Colter’s voice was low, full of violence he couldn’t hide.

 

Mason twisted, looking over his shoulder, but without releasing Nora. “Hey, Overboss.”

 

“Why are you here? In my quarters?”

 

Mason pressed a kiss to Nora’s cheek before turning to face Colter. “You asked me to train her every day. Since she was grounded or some bullshit, seemed like the lesson had to happen here. Night, tiger. Night, Overboss.” Mason passed Colter, close enough they bumped shoulders, neither willing to give an inch.

 

Once he’d left, Colter turned a glare on Nora. “You were supposed to stay here.”

 

Nora set her arms out. “In case you’ve missed it, I did stay here.”

 

The bar caught Colter’s attention, a collection of glasses on it. The dark red lipstick on a can of water told him who had drank from it: Nisha. The vodka left over in the bottom of the next pointed to William. Not many drank Vodka, and of them only William would dare to show up there.

 

Colter pressed his lips together, trying to cool his temper. He’d wanted Nora to stay put to keep her safe, and instead of that, every dangerous person in the park came to visit her. “You throwing parties while I’m away now?”

 

“Not on purpose. Seems I had people wanting to check in, and this place isn’t the fortress you think it is.”

 

 “Clearly.” Colter rubbed his fingers against his eyes as he moved the glasses, knowing damned well they’d been left out on purpose. She could have moved them, could have had Mason out before he’d gotten back, but she was poking at him.

 

She was making a point.

 

Not that he could blame her. Everyone rebelled some of the time.

 

“What did Nisha want?”

 

“To tell me men are idiots, and I should castrate them from now on.”

 

“Sounds like Nisha. And William? Another hated of dick? You were on your way back from the Parlor when you were attacked, so why were you there?”

 

“History.”

 

“History?” He asked it slowly, as if he’d misheard her.

 

“Yes. When I escape, I’m going to need to understand the commonwealth if I want to survive. He’s been showing me where the cities are, explaining to me the different factions. I’ll need that all.” She wiped the sweat from her brow with the bottom of her shirt before walking into the kitchen. “Don’t worry, I won’t slack on my _chores._ Dinner has been cooking all day.”

 

He shook his head and moved over in front of her. “So you’re still on about that? I offered to help you already. Don’t need to go learning about anything, not if I’m with you.”

 

“And I’d take you up on that offer if it came from my partner. From my owner? It’s just not the same.”

 

Colter grasped the back of her neck, using a thumb to angle her face up. “You need to stop spending time with Mason. He’s turning you feral.”

 

Nora sighed but didn’t pull away. She looked tired, which he couldn’t really blame her for. The night before, after their fight, she’d tossed and turned most of the night. Probably a left over from her attack. Pretty damned mild, really.

 

Her voice came out soft. “I don’t want to argue with you, not tonight.”

 

“Surprise, surprise. Seems you always want to argue. I find it funny that that first day, you were so damned pleasant and quiet. Now? Now you always have something to say.”

 

Her shoulders slumped like she lacked the energy to keep them straight. “You’re not making it easy to not argue.”

 

He leaned down and offered her a sweet kiss in apology. Not arguing sounded damned fine to him. He was tired of fighting with her. It seemed all they did.

 

He broke the kiss but left his hand behind her neck. He could almost picture them like that, just two people eating dinner together, happy. “How are you feeling tonight?”

 

“Fine.” She set her hands on his chest, fingers curling in.

 

And yeah, that look in her eyes? Pretty clear what she was wanting. But, was that a surprise? The girl craved touch, craved physical contact. Colter was the only person she sort of trusted, so when stressed, of course she’d seek that out from him. Some people needed space when they were hurting. He was like that, someone who snarled to keep people away. Nora needed people like air, though, and more upset the more she needed them.

 

Colter rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “You sure? The other night was rough, Nora. You sure you’re ready for anything?”

 

She pulled away. “Fine. Don’t worry about it. Forget it. Food’s on the stove when you’re hungry.”

 

He caught her wrist and pulled her back against him. “Didn’t say no. I just don’t want you rushing anything. You wanting me? Not about to say no, I’m not stupid. Just want you to say it, to think about it.”

 

Nora took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “I need you, Colter.”

 

He smiled before hoisting her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. “Need me, huh?”

 

Her face hardened. “Just for this, and just for tonight.”

 

He took her to the bed. “I’ll take what I can get.”

 


	21. Chapter 21

 

Nora was fucking nervous.

 

She wanted to pretend like she wasn’t, like this was all normal, all fine, but it was a lie.

 

A lie she was pretty sure Colter saw through.

 

They’d already had sex, so why was she so damned anxious? Because of Gage, that was obvious. Somehow, she couldn’t get it out of her head. Each brush of Colter's hands, each spot they touch, it sent her anxiety soaring. 

 

Stupid. He hadn’t raped her, so why was she acting like such a coward?

 

Even with that, though, she hadn’t been lying. She needed Colter. Needed to touch him, to feel him. Colter was the only solid thing in her life, the only thing that never shifted.

 

Even as she gathered allies, odd as they were, they weren’t Colter. They weren’t the man she slept beside, the man who had slowly replaced Nate in her dreams, the voice that whispered to her and made her shudder.

 

Colter didn’t drop her on the bed, didn’t toss her down. No, not Colter. He was strong enough that he leaned down, one arm on the bed, the other wrapped around Nora’s back, until he could set her in the center of the bed.

 

He never stopped the kisses, though. His lips moved over ever inch he could reach, hungry, like he’d been starving for her. Of course, he hadn’t gotten off that she knew about since that first time they’d had sex. He had to be desperate. 

 

Nora leaned away from him, lying flat on the bed beneath him, before she worked her pants open and off her hips. Taking things slow was a recipe for overthinking, for her letting her anxiety run free, and the things were already jogging laps around her head.

 

Nope. Quick was the way to get over this hurdle. A few quick thrusts and she'd be good as new. 

 

Colter leaned off her to let her strip, his hands running over the newly exposed skin, until he reached between her legs. His fingers pressed against her slit, and she flinched. She tried to hide it, tried to grit her teeth and tell her brain to knock this shit off. This was Colter, not Gage, and Colter had had a hell of a lot more than just his fingers inside her before. There was no fucking reason to feel this way.

 

But he caught it, of course. Colter pressed his forehead against hers, pulling his fingers back, taking a deep breath. “Too fast.”

 

Nora shook her head, afraid he’d pull away. She didn't want to be alone, didn't want to feel cold anymore. “No, it’s not.”

 

He pulled back, moving to sit beside her. Nora pulled her legs together, her knees moving up to her chest, so she could wrap her arms around them.

 

Always getting rejected.

 

“Yeah, it is. This isn’t a race, dove, don’t have to rush it. Kenz said you had some scratches on you, you know.” He didn’t look at her, but his meaning was clear.

 

She nodded. “He caught me with his nails.”

 

The knuckles of Colter’s hand cracked, his hands drawn into fists. “Fucking asshole,” he muttered, quiet enough Nora doubted he’d meant for her to hear it. “Yeah, not surprising that me fingering you isn’t on your list of things to do tonight. Let’s uh, let’s just slow this down.”

 

Nora set her chin in her knees, refusing to look at him.

 

“Talk to me.”

 

“No.”

 

He sighed, scooting until his back resting against the wall. “Come on, Nora. Can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”

 

“Why do you think I want your help?”

 

“Because I’m all you’ve got. I’d love to say it’s because you trust me, or some bullshit, but it’s not. I’m just the only person you have, and I’m not doing this shit blind.”

 

Nora twisted, moving her leg over him so she sat in his lap. She leaned in, trying to coax him into a kiss, to forget his damned questions.

 

Instead, Colter set his hands on her arms and set her away from him. “Not doing this, not until you talk to me. That wince? Says this is still rattling around in your head, and I need to know what to avoid, dove. You don’t want to talk to me? I won’t force you, but I also won’t touch you until you do.”

 

Nora released a frustrated huff. “It was nothing, okay? I was coming around the corner, running because I thought you’d be mad I was late, and he grabbed me. He grabbed me and he. . .” her breath shuddered, but she forced the words out. “He told me to just relax and try to enjoy it. He shoved his hand into my pants and his fingers-“

 

“-okay, hey, slow down, will you? Breathe nice and slow.” Colter pulled her forward until her cheek pressed against his chest. “Fucking hell. You sure you don’t know who it was? Could bring every fucker in the park in here, one at a time, and let you hear their voices. Fuck, I'll kill any of 'em you just think are maybes. Let me have him, Nora. Let me kill the asshole, nice and slow.”

 

But she knew exactly who it was. The name clawed in her throat, the desire to say it.

 

Would Colter do a damned thing, though? Part of her thought so, the part that curled against his chest, the part that slept beside him. The other part? That part worried he wanted power more than he cared for her. He hadn’t even considered releasing her as a slave, so how could she really think he cared about her at all? If someone kicked your dog, you might yell at 'em, but no picked their dog over their friends. 

 

What if she told him and he chose Gage over her? Even if he warned Gage off, even if he made it so Gage could never touch her again, she’d never be able to look at Colter if she knew he’d let the other raider live.

 

So, in the end, it was her own fear that kept her silent.

 

Colter sighed, his chest moving and lifting her head. “You know who it was, don’t you? You know exactly who attacked you.”

 

She didn’t answer.

 

“Can’t blame you for not trusting me, but fuck, Nora. I want to help you. Won’t let them touch you ever again if you just tell me who it was.”

 

“He didn’t really do anything,” Nora said, voice soft. "Wasn't like he raped me. Stupid to get this worked up over it."

 

Colter pulled her off his lap, but tucked her beneath his arm, pulled in close to him. “That’s not true, Nora. Doesn’t matter if he never got his dick into you, it’s still going to dig in deep. Still gonna take a little time to get around it.”

 

Nora set her head on his chest, leaning in against him. Her hand grasped his wrist to tighten his arm around her. “You’re not as terrible as I first thought.”

 

“Funny, most people find the opposite to be true about me.”

 

“I’m still going to leave.”

 

“I’ll follow you, anywhere.”

 

She sighed. “Just shut up, Colter. Let me relax.”

 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sure, dove. We'll fight tomorrow."

 

Always tomorrow. 

 

#

 

Colter woke to something warm and really fucking wet wrapped around his dick. He groaned, hand wrapping into the hair of whoever it was.

 

The feeling of a mouth on his dick wasn’t something he’d mistake for anything else, and even as his brain lagged behind on the whole waking up shit, he was all on board with this. His hand cranked down on the hair, his hips lifting.

 

Damn, that felt nice.

 

A moan from the mouth, a vibration around his cock, and he finally started to remember. His eyes opened, and the eyes that met him were ones he’d never mistake for anything else.

 

Nora.

 

Fuck.

 

He pulled her off his cock, rougher with her hair than he meant to be, but he couldn’t help it. “Shit. Nora, I’m so sorry. Fuck.”

 

She pulled against his grip and slid her tongue over the head of his cock. “I didn’t ask you to be sorry. I wouldn’t have started this if I didn’t want to do it.”

 

He’d never seen a better sight than that tongue of hers. “Look, maybe after last night. . .”

 

She pulled again, and he either had to be willing to yank hard on her or let her do as she pleased. The idea of hurting her didn’t sit well, so he let her move forward. She pressed a kiss to the tip of his cock, tongue sliding along the slit. “Let me?”

 

“This doesn’t make you feel like you did when I got my fingers on you last night?”

 

She shook her head. “No. He never got this far.”

 

Colter released his grip in her hair and brushed a thumb over her cheek. “Okay, dove.”

 

She smiled, then set one of her hands on his hip, her other grasping the base of his cock. She hadn’t spent much time touching him, and damn if he didn’t like it. She stroked him, eyebrows pulled in concentration, but damn if she didn’t like her lips like it was the best thing she’d seen.

 

He opened his mouth to say something, though what it was, he had no fucking idea. Only a strangled groan escaped when Nora took that moment to wrap her lips around his cock again.

 

His hips arched up into the heat of her mouth once before he stilled them. No. Last thing he wanted was to fucking gag her. He took a deep breath and forced himself still.

 

Nora worked him slowly, teasing, testing. He got the sense she might not have done this a lot, or maybe it was just that she’d never tried with anyone but Nate.

 

And for the first time, Nate’s name didn’t bother him. Fuck it. Nate wasn’t competition, he was her past.

 

Nora stroked him as she played with the head of his cock, not taking him deep but using her tongue enough he didn’t care.

 

His orgasm snuck up on him, but hell, he’d been hard up for a while. The sight of Nora, her gaze darting from her work up to his eyes, her lips stretched around him, fuck if that wasn’t what wet dreams were made of.

 

“If you aren’t interesting in swallowing, dove, you might want to move back.”

 

She didn’t pull away, though her gaze locked on his.

 

And that pushed him over. He came, hips twitching up into her mouth as he spilled into her mouth.

 

Nora’s throat shifted as she swallowed, pulling back as if surprised, some getting onto her lips, a streak on her cheek.

 

He laughed softly at the way her cheeks flushed, like she’d wanted to be suave and hadn’t quite managed. He grabbed her arm and hauled her up his body and into a kiss.

 

He teased her with his lips until her she writhed against him, until she drug her cunt, covered only by her underwear, against his thigh.

 

Perfect. If he didn’t touch her, the girl could get herself off against his leg and that was just fine with him.

 

He slid a hand behind her neck as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dipping past her lips as her hips kept thrusting.

 

She fucked herself against him, her drenched underwear rubbing against his naked thigh. Warm and wet and perfect. So damned close to his cock, he was glad he’d already gotten off. No way he could have resisted.

 

He broke the kiss as she got closer, her nails digging into his chest.

 

“I need you, Nora. No matter what bullshit happens, I need you. Never needed anyone before, but fuck it, because I need you.”

 

She didn’t answer, but her thighs tightened around his as he came. Even through the cloth of her underwear, he could feel her cunt twitch, like it was trying to grasp something that wasn’t inside it. Damn, he would have been happy to fuck to give it what it wanted, but that wasn’t for today.

 

She leaned her forehead against his chest, pulling in deep breaths as she shuddered. She lifted her head after she calmed, but her face had lost that relaxed afterglow. “You’re trying to tell me you love me. I’m not stupid, Colter, I know exactly what you’re trying to say without actually saying it.”

 

He wanted to argue, but fuck it, she was right. “And so what if I am? You got anything to say back to that?”

 

She laughed, an ugly, harsh tone. “Not a thing. If we were different, if we weren’t here, if I didn’t have this damned thing on,” her fingers went to her throat, to her collar, which she yanked at, “then yeah, I could see me falling for you. Not like this though.”

 

Colter snatched her hands before she hurt herself, but she only pulled away then dressed. “I’m going to my lesson with Mason, then work in the clinic, then to the Parlor.”

 

“I told you to stay here.”

 

“And you can fuck yourself, Colter, because I won’t stay here. If you want that, you’ll have to chain me up.”

 

He stood, storming over to her, but she didn’t flinch. She didn’t cower or back away. Her shoulders straightened and she dared him to do something. Where had this woman come from? She'd grown from that girl that first day, the one unwilling to even speak to him. This woman was different, and she wasn't about to take his shit.

 

Worse? She knew he was fucking bluffing. He had nothing to threaten her with.

 

Fuck.

 

Colter reached behind her, then set his pistol in her hand. “I expect you to be armed at all times, dove.”

 

“Slaves don’t get weapons.”

 

“And you haven’t been a real slave since the start, have you? Now go on, before I change my mind on the whole chaining you to the bed bullshit.”

 

She stared down at the gun for a moment, before she lifted to her toes and pressed a quick, thankful kiss to his cheek.

 

The warmth of it clung to his skin even after she’d left.

 

It wasn’t love, but hell, it was something.

 


	22. Chapter 22

A week later, little had changed. They had relaxed some, with Nora easing back into a nice routine. According to Mason, she’d taken to her training. Hand to hand wasn’t her specialty, since the time she’d been there wasn’t long enough to put on any real muscle, but she’d gotten better at avoiding strikes and moving fast.

 

Her rifle skills were far better than anyone had anticipated. She handled a sniper rifle like a pro, a skill that Colter had prided himself on. All in all, he hated to admit it, but she almost didn’t need him.

 

She was at least as good as the worst raiders in the park. Not on his level, or Mason, or Nisha, but she could hold her own against most.

 

Mason had pointed it out that morning, rubbing it in Colter’s face. ‘Girl ain’t gonna need you. You gonna hobble her to keep her here?’

 

And, fuck, Colter didn’t know.

 

If he let her go, she’d leave. He couldn’t even imagine not waking up every day with her beside him. She’d become vital to him, to his day to day routine. How could he go back to an empty loft at night? Crawl into a bed by himself?

 

Even the idea had him shuttering.

 

“You okay?” Nora lifted her gaze from the book in her lap, eyebrows drawn together. She sat on the bed, legs out and crossed at the ankle.

 

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

 

“About?”

 

He ignored the worries and slid a grin over his lips. “About how damned pretty you look when you read. It’s like when you talk medicine, dove. Really fucking sexy.”

 

She shook her head and lifted the book again, ignoring him despite her smirk. “You’re incorrigible.”

 

Gauntlet thrown.

 

Colter grinned wider as he moved on to the bed, her bare legs so fucking tempting. He slid his hands over her ankles and up her shins. Fucking perfect. He leaned over her, pressing kisses up the skin.

 

“Colter. . .”

 

“What, dove?”

 

“I’m reading.”

 

“So read. I’m not stopping you.” He drug his tongue up the seam of her thighs until his head bumped the book and he reached her crotch.

 

She shuddered. “You’re impossible.”

 

“Impossible. Incorrigible. Inside you?”

 

“Not yet, you aren’t.”

 

“Yet? So, you already know it’ll happen? Good, because fighting with you is fucking exhausting.”  He grasped her knees and spread her thighs around him. “Go on, go back to your reading. Let’s see how long you can ignore me.”

 

She leaned back so she rested against the wall, gaze tracing the words on the page.

 

He pulled the neckline of her shirt down and hooked it beneath her breasts, before capturing one nipple with his lips. He pulled her underwear off, throwing them somewhere, not that he cared where. He stroked his fingers up her cunt.

 

They’d worked past her flinching, her unease. Sometimes, he’d still need to slow down, but a few deep breaths and she’d want to continue. She was always trying, always reaching for him. It was the only time he felt like the really had something, and having her not retreat from him, it meant the world to him. Nothing could keep the girl down. 

 

So, when his fingers pressed into her, she didn’t flinch. She moaned, legs falling further open.

 

“You’re supposed to be reading. You never have listened well.”

 

“You’re distracting.”

 

“Sure coming up with a lot of opinions about me today.”

 

Nora dropped the book and shifted, so he pulled his fingers from her. She gripped the front of his shirt, twisting until he laid down on the bed and she could straddle him. A few quick jerks of her hand and she’d gotten his pants undone and open enough to pull his cock out.

 

She lifted up to her knees, angling him toward her, before she dropped down and sunk onto his cock. “Fuck,” she moaned as he filled her.

 

Colter reached up and grasped her hips, guiding her as she rode him. Her tits bounced with each motion, so damned tempting, like everything about her was.

 

He fucking loved this. It was great when he took her, when he fucked into her however he wanted, but something about her riding him always twisted his heart.

 

Maybe because they could never get past this damned trust issue. Maybe because she’d said she didn’t love him, that she wouldn’t, and he believed it. When she rode him, when she took him inside her body like this, it was her taking a part of him. It was her wanting him, her choosing him, and it soothed that part of him that knew she’d never love him.

 

“Go on, dove. Get yourself off.”

 

“Are you being lazy?”

 

“Nope. Just wanting to watch how good you look. I had a long day, let me relax, huh?”

 

She smiled, one hand going to his side to keep her balance, her other sliding down over her stomach to her clit. Those thin, agile fingers of her slid through her wetness, playing with her clit. She always touched harder than he would have, rougher than he’d have dared, but the clenching of her cunt said she enjoyed it.

 

He kept on with his grip on her, his hips snapping up to take her deeper when he couldn’t just lie still anymore.

 

She moaned, a sound that reached into him and had his balls tightening.

 

Thankfully, she came a moment later, before he risked embarrassing himself. She tightened around his cock, her knees digging into his sides as her legs tried to close out of instinct.

 

He followed her, spilling into her, hands cranking down on her hips to hold her still.

 

Nora fell forward, laying on his chest, lips pressing sweet kisses to him. Always sweet, his Nora. Even when she bitched at him, even when she stormed around, she was always too fucking sweet.

 

He peeled his fingers off her and brushed her hair from her face. A grip to her chin had her scooting up his body, since she was so fucking small, so he could kiss her. It meant he slipped out of her, and his come dribbled from her, onto his stomach.

 

Not that he cared.

 

He wrapped his arms around her, grasping her close to him. Losing her would kill him.

 

#

 

Colter woke to sobbing. It was quiet, but fuck if he didn’t recognize it.

 

He sat up then leaned over. Nora’s eyes were closed, tears leaking down her face, gasping from her throat.

 

Nightmare?

 

She’d had a couple after her attack, but nothing like this. Those had been soft jerking, whimpers, fear. This wasn’t fear, it was pain.

 

He shook her arm. “Wake up, dove. Come on, wake up.”

 

She gasped, sitting up so fast she almost headbutted him. “Nate,” she whispered. “Oh god, Nate.”

 

The name didn’t make Colter angry anymore, just sad. Sad for her, for what she lost, for what she wished they’d been. “Hey, hey. It’s all right, now.”

 

She shook her head, leaning forward on the bed so far she almost folded in half. The blanket muffled her voice. “It’s not okay, Colter. You don’t understand, not anything. I watched that man shoot Nate. He shot him and he stole my child and I’m here. I’m still fucking here, doing nothing.”

 

“I told you, we will go. We’ll find your son.”

 

“I replaced Nate. I’m not doing a damned thing to find our child, and I replaced him with you. What sort of person does that?” Her voice broke, shoulders shaking as she cried. “I can’t do this anymore. Not for another day. I’m choking here, choking on everything I’m supposed to do that I’m not doing. I’m just playing house instead.”

 

Colter reached out to touch her, but when his fingers brushed her skin, she flinched away. “I’ll help you.”

 

“My dream, it was Nate. I watched them shoot him when I was trapped, but in my dream, he was standing there in front of my tube, bleeding out of the bullet wound to his chest. He set his hand on the glass to my tube, blood smearing, and he told me ‘Nora, you’re supposed to be finding Shaun. Instead you whored yourself out. Just as useless as you’ve ever been.’”

 

Fuck. “So we’ll go. First thing in the morning. Fuck Nuka World, fuck it all. We’ll go.”

 

She shook her head as she rolled over, her back to him. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered, so quiet he wasn’t sure she was talking to him at all.

 

She didn’t respond to anything else he said, crying silently until she fell asleep.

 

Sleep evaded Colter, so he just sat in the bed and stared down at her.

 

She was dying. How had he missed it? How hadn’t he realized how bad it had gotten? He spent so damned long thinking about what he wanted from her, what she did for him, that he’d missed the signs.

 

He hadn’t seen that she was fucking drowning.

 

Those tears, those were real. It wasn’t the face she put on during the day, the times she sucked it up and dealt with this bullshit hand she’d been given, this was real.

 

This was her crumbling because of what he’d done to her.

 

Colter scrubbed his hand over his face.

 

He couldn’t let her drown, not because of him.

 

He was going to have to let her go, and it was going to kill him.

 


	23. Chapter 23

 

Colter was gone when Nora woke, when she remembered the night before. Damn her for falling apart like that. She didn’t need his pity, didn’t need him seeing just how badly it all hurt.

 

Those were her feelings, not for him. They were the broken pieces inside of her that she tried to hide, day to day. They were her fears and her terror and her regret, and she didn't want Colter to know it. 

 

The lift ground to life, letting Nora know he’d returned. He did that, at times, returned during the day to check on her.

 

Sometimes it felt almost normal, like her significant other stopping in to have lunch with her during his work day. But none of this was normal, not really. Nora had to remind herself of that sometimes. Colter would lean in to kiss her and she'd respond so easily and she'd forget that they weren't a couple. They were a master and a slave who were fucking.

 

Nothing else, no matter if either of them wanted something more.

 

Nora kept her back to him when the lift reached the top as she finished with her hair. Mason would be ready to meet her in an hour, and he’d promised they’d work on her aim.

 

She liked to work on that, because it didn’t end with her bruised up, and she did it well. So many of the skills were a challenge, but as it turned out, marksmanship was her strong suit. So the days where she got to knock off targets through a scope were her favorite.

 

Especially when Mason would whistle, impressed.

 

“I’m sorry about last night,” Nora said, voice soft as she turned.

 

Colter stood in the middle of the loft, arms piled with items, face blank.

 

“What’s that?”

 

He set the things on the table, sorting them into piles. “Gear.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For you. The armor is the best, got it from Shank’s personal collection. It’ll stop anything but a missile. Pistol is weaker, but it’s light and the is shoots straight. I know you’re better with a rifle, so that’s your best item here. You’ve got stimpacks, chems, changes of clothing in the pack.”

 

Nora walked up slowly since Colter still wouldn’t look at her. “What are you saying?”

 

He didn’t respond to her question. “Put caps in the pack, too. Got five hundred there, enough to get whatever you need but not too many to be a problem. You need more? Just send word and I’ll have it delivered. No questions asked.”

 

Nora placed a hand on his arm, but he still wouldn’t lift his gaze. “Colter?”

 

He reached up to the back of her collar, unsnapping it so it dropped off her neck and into his hand. “I deactivated this fucking thing weeks ago. It’s been nothing but for show since then. You could have just unhooked it anytime.”

 

“You’re letting me go?”

 

“Yeah, I am. Should have done it a while ago, huh? Well, no one can ever say I’m smart, can they? Go on, Nora. Train’ll take you to the Commonwealth and I know you can make it yourself once you’re there.”

 

“You aren’t coming?”

 

He shook his head. “I fucked up your whole life. Stole you, slapped a collar on you, refused to let you go. You want me because you don’t know what else is out there, because I didn’t let you figure it out. So, get on with it. Maybe, later, after you’ve found your son, because I got no doubts you will, you’ll come back to me? Or, hell, send word for me?”

 

She tried to force his eyes to his, but he refused to do it, gaze still on the items he’d brought. “I don’t want to leave you.”

 

“Look, I took too much from you, too many choices, and I won’t take this one, too. You have to want me, and with how things are now? You can’t want me, not really. And I can’t walk you to the fucking train, either, because I won’t let you go. I know my limits and there’s a big fucking one there, watching you walk away. Nah.”

 

Nora wanted to argue but hell, he was right. What sort of relationship goes from slavery to. . .what? Some great romance? She’d lived through too much to believe in that.

 

Instead, Nora moved to her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

 

He yanked her harder against her, his fingers crushing in their grip, as he kissed her back. He seemed like he’d take her right there, like nothing else mattered to him, but he pulled away.

 

Colter turned and hurled the slave collar at the wall, and it shattered into a million pieces. “Hate that fucking thing,” he snarled before storming to the lift and hitting the button.

 

Nora pulled her gaze from the lift to the items on the table. She was finally free. She could go find Shaun. She could start her life.

 

Why did it feel so damned empty?

 

#

 

Colter sat across from Gage in the small room off the Arena. Word was, a new challenger was on their way. Good, he was sick of stewing, sick of thinking.

 

Some good old fashioned violence was the way to get his mind off it.

 

“Turn off the electricity,” Colter said.

 

“What?”

 

“I need a good fight. Turn off the electricity on the suit. Hell, pull the fucker through the back so he’s ready for a real fight, not half dead.”

 

“You got issues to work out or something?” Gage flick ash from his cigarette onto the floor. Filth, like everything else.

 

“You could say that. Nora’s gone.”

 

“Gone?”

 

“Yeah. I let her go. It was time. This isn’t a life for her and we both knew it. Figured it would make you happy, since you’ve been bitching at me for being distracted by her.”

 

Gage laughed, boots hitting the floor as he sat up. “Yeah, Boss, I’m happy. You need company? We’ll find ya more agreeable whores.”

 

The name had Colter snatching Gage by his throat and slamming him backward, against the wall. The glass rattled, and for a moment, he expected it to break. “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that.”

 

Gage grasped his wrist but didn’t struggle otherwise, like he knew giving in was the only way to get Colter to let go.

 

And Colter did. He dropped Gage, who stumbled against the console. “Fuckin’ hell, boss. Good thing she’s gone if she does this to you. Look, I’m gonna go get your suit ready, huh? You just try to get your fucking head straight or this next asshole is gonna end up putting you under.”

 

He stepped backward, shaking his head.

 

Did he even really care?

 

#

 

Nora wished she could have said goodbye to Mason, to William, hell, even to Nisha. They’d become strange companions, but companions none the less.

 

However, a part of her was afraid Colter would change his mind. She was terrified if she stayed too long, he’d decide to snatch her again.

 

No, when a door is open, you run the hell through it.

 

The train was right where she expected it to be, though the trip was tiring. She wasn’t used to carrying so much gear. Colter wasn’t kidding about the armor or the weapons. They made a mockery of what Mason had shown her or let her practice with. She'd put on the armor, strapped the guns on, and damn if she didn't look like a raider, like a soldier, like something other than the frightened girl she'd been when she'd headed out of that Vault.

 

Though, she kept Mason’s knife, the one she’d hidden beneath the mattress when he’d given it to her what felt like a lifetime ago. It was hooked into a sheath at her calf, some strange sense of purpose with it.

 

Mason had given that to her when she’d had nothing, when people has still thought nothing of her. Now she just had to earn it.

 

The train was silent, sitting there, her ticket out of this hell. All she had to do was get onto it and hit the button.

 

So why was that so damned hard to do?

 

Because she didn’t want to leave Colter. She didn’t want to get on that damned train and leave him behind. The idea of leaving, of facing everything without him, of not being able to turn to him and tell him something, not being able to curl around him at night, of not hearing that accent calling her dove, it felt like losing all over again.

 

It felt like something else important being stolen from her, and hadn't she lost enough already?

 

Nora didn’t have a chance to make a decision before something struck her in the back of the head. She collapsed forward, vision blurry, confused. A kick to her side helped her roll to her back.

 

“Finally got you all to myself, huh?” Gage grinned down at her as everything went black. 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There *IS* rape in this chapter. I mention it so that anyone who wishes to pass over it may do so. It is the first scene of this, so you can go forward to the second scene, and at that point it is only mentioned a bit.

 

Nora’s head throbbed when she came to, and her damned eyes wouldn’t open. She reached out, looking for Colter, wanting to grasp his arm.

 

He’d help her. He always helped her, always would.

 

“Almost done, honey,” came the rough voice that wasn’t Colter.

 

Her eyes opened, finally, to find Gage’s face above her, lips in a smirk that made her stomach roll. Nora’s hands lifted to scratch him, but he grasped them both in one hand and slammed them down on the floor above her head. He swayed above her, rising then sinking down.

 

It took another moment for her head to catch up, to realize that motion was him thrusting into her. Discomfort washed over her as she realized it, as she woke up further. It didn't hurt as much as it should have, but maybe that was just because of the blow to the head she'd taken.

 

She did gag that time, trying to twist away, but in her position, she couldn’t get any leverage to throw him off. He was too strong, too large.

 

“Just accept it. It's already done, anyway. Oughta just stop fighting, because you’re gonna be mine, now. All this stupid fucking learning and fighting you've been doing? What's it worth? Couldn't even fight me off.”

 

She spat in his face, some falling back down onto hers. “Colter will kill you.”

 

He shuddered, a deep groan as he came, then pulled out and stood. “He won’t live long enough to.”

 

Nora rolled to her side, stickiness between her legs she was trying really hard to ignore. She could unpack all the bullshit later, could breakdown and think about it later. “You won’t ever be able to kill him. He’ll eat you alive.”

 

Gage, laughed as he lit a cigarette, then crouched down beside her, pants hanging low on his hips, his softening cock wet and hanging there like a serpent. “Yeah, he would if I ever faced him head on. I won’t, however. That suit he wears for his arena fights? He’s not going to find it very useful this time.”

 

Nora kicked her foot out at him, but he batted it away like it were nothing. “He doesn’t need that suit. He can beat anyone without it.”

 

“He could, normally. Which is why I made sure this time wouldn't go normally. That suit of his will seize up the moment the power comes on, and then it’ll be as easy as picking him off. I did my research this time, got someone who is going to actually listen to me. Sick of arguing with that asshole, with him not fucking listening to me.”

 

Nora sprung off the floor to try and tackle Gage, but she still wasn’t moving fast. Her head made her unsteady, and Gage countered with ease.

 

He wrapped a hand around her throat and tossed her to the floor, pinning her by the throat. He tightened it until she couldn’t breathe, then leaned down into her face. “Colter’s going to die, and you? You ain’t getting on that train. I think I’ll put a new collar on this throat of yours, keep you all for myself. You’ve caused me enough trouble, I think I’ve earned it. You know? It's fucking hilarious to watch you, for you to think you're worth anything more than what's between your legs. Get it through your head: this ain't your world. You ain't never getting that kid, you ain't getting anything but more of what I already gave you.”

 

Nora squirmed, trying to get some sort of leverage to move Gage, but nothing worked. She just wasn’t stronger than him.

 

_Don’t play their game._ Nisha’s words came back to her. She was playing Gage’s fucking game, trying to out muscle him.

 

She couldn’t ever out muscle him. Couldn’t compete on that level.

 

But fuck him, because she had more to lose. She’d lived through more, struggled against more. The asshole might have brute force, but that was all. Even brute force could crumble. 

 

Nora focused. Gage had taken the guns. Her shirt was still on, pants hooked around one calf.

 

Her calf. Mason’s knife. It was still strapped to that leg. The pants must have gotten caught there, which was why he didn't remove them from that leg.

 

She just needed to turn the game around. Nora stopped fighting.

 

As soon as she relaxed, Gage let off on the pressure on her throat. “Look at that. All you needed was a firm hand for you to fucking learn, huh?”

 

She nodded, using the real fucking stress inside her to show on her face. Look fragile. Look broke. Hide the spark. “Sorry,” she croaked out. She didn’t have to fake that, either. Her throat was killing her.

 

“I ain’t unreasonable. Why don’t you come clean me off, huh? Show me how damned sorry you are.”

 

Nora nodded, struggling to her knees as he stood. She swallowed hard, head down, as she situated her legs behind her. She’d have one chance.

 

If she failed, she was dead. Shaun was gone. Colter was dead. It all relied on one damned chance. 

 

Nora set a hand on Gage’s thigh, nostrils full of his scent. It made her stomach clench. Sweat and dirt and come. It clung to him, and she knew she smelled the same.

 

No. Don’t fucking think about it. She couldn’t think about what he’d left inside her, couldn’t think about how he’d felt inside of her.

 

No. Fucking no. Focus.

 

She dug her nails into his thigh to steady herself as she lifted her foot.

 

“Eyes on me,” he snapped.

 

Of course, he wanted her look at him. Always with his fucking games. He wanted to make sure that when he forced her to clean him off after he raped her, that she looked him in the eye. It was a way of showing he was in charge, of tearing her down. Nora lifted her gaze to look him in the eyes, to stare him down. He grinned down at her as he grabbed his cock and rubbed it against her lips. She fought the urge to bite down.

 

Idiot shouldn’t let his goods near anything with teeth. Even prey can bite when they need to.

 

Her fingers curled around the handle of the blade Mason had given her, lips pressed together even as he smeared everything on his cock onto her lips. His attention was on her face, and she knew damned well he wasn't paying attention to what her hand was doing.

 

“Smile, honey,” he mocked. “I’m going to take everything from you.”

 

The corner of Nora’s lips titled up, and a moment of fear flashed in his eye.

 

_Change the rules._

 

Nora buried the blade in his stomach, twisting it as it went in.

 

Gage jerked backward, but the asshole wasn’t getting away. Nora followed him, yanking the knife out, then bringing it down again.

 

She lost track of everything, or maybe it was the blow to the head, because before she knew it, she had blood over her and Gage wasn’t moving at all. The knife slid from her hand when the blood made it difficult to clutch.

 

Nora rolled off, scooting away. She yanked her pants back on, then went for her pack. Her fingers struggled with the fastenings until she could reach the chems Colter had packed for her.

 

She injected the stimpack, first. It would fix her head. She could use a rest, but that wasn’t happening.

 

The cheer of a crowd had her twisting.

 

The arena. Colter. The suit.

 

The rest of the chems stared at her. The gauntlet stood between her and Colter, but fuck it. Gage wasn’t stealing shit from her.

 

She stuck chems in her pockets: psycho, jet, buffout. She’d need all of it by the time she finished the damned run. The pack weighed down on her shoulders as she stood, head clearer from the stimpack.

 

Nora sheathed the knife at her calf, blood and all, then reattached her weapons and tightened the armor that had gotten askewed.

 

She lifted her rifle and fired one shot into Gage, her fuck you to what he’d done. She’d have to deal with it later, have to think about it later, but right then?

 

Right then, she was going to save Colter.

 

#

 

Colter flinched as another bullet struck the suit. The asshole was mocking him, firing at the pieces of the malfunctioning power armor while he taunted him.

 

The moment the electricity came on, the suit had stopped moving.

 

Someone had fucked with his suit.

 

And judging from the fact Gage was no where around? He had a pretty damned good idea who it was. He'd always known Gage would turn on him when he didn't find him useful anymore, he'd just thought he had more time.

 

The man in front of him was thin, teeth rotted away from years of chems use. He had the twitchy body of an addict. He laughed and fired a bullet at Colter’s leg. Since he’d already knocked the thigh armor off, the bullet hit flesh.

 

What a fucking end.

 

He wouldn’t have minded dying in a good fight. Getting bloody and testing himself against someone? That was a way to go.

 

Being used as target practice?

 

Less fun.

 

But hell, at last Nora wasn’t there to see it. At least she was out of there, safe and heading back to her own life.

 

The idea he wouldn’t see her again, though, that stung. He’d held onto some stupid hope that she’d send for him, that she’d come back and want him. He didn’t deserve it, but fuck, he wanted it.

 

“So, guess who’s Overboss now?” The man grabbed the neckline of the power armor and hopped up, feet using the exposed frame so he could look right into the helmet. “This is all mine, now.”

 

Colter refused to close his eyes. You looked death in the fucking face when it was your turn.

 

And if it was Colter’s turn? He wasn’t blinking.

 

The man leapt away and lifted his rifle. He lifted it with one hand, like a moron, and winked.

 

The gunshot rang out, but it was the man who fell, not Colter.

 

And behind the now dead man?

 

Nora.

 

 

#

 

Mason yanked the fusion core out of the suit, and it hissed open. Nora had tried, but even with the chems running through her system, she'd had no chance at getting it to budge. Mason had been the first to jump the barrier and help her when she almost tore her hands on the pieces trying to get the suit to open.

 

Colter stumbled out, leg seeming to give out when he stepped to the ground. He caught the frame and shook his head once, then put his weight on the leg.

 

Had to hurt like hell, but Colter wasn’t the sort to show weakness.

 

Nora pulled a stimpack from her pocket and jammed it into his thigh, injecting the medicine.

 

Mason’s gaze dropped to the blood down Nora’s front. “Problems, tiger?”

 

“Gage’s body is near the train. Might want to move it before it starts to smell.”

 

Mason narrowed his eyes as they fell on her throat. Damn, she probably had bruises there. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer asshole. Sure, tiger, sure. I’ll have it taken care of.” He nodded, then left Colter and Nora in the center of the arena, alone.

 

“Thank you, dove.” Colter didn’t come forward, like he wasn’t sure it was welcome. “You coulda’ walked away, but you came back, and you saved me.”

 

Nora pressed her lips together, thankful that the water she’d fallen into during the gauntlet had cleaned her lips off. She’d rather stagnant water than anything Gage had left there. “Of course, I came for you. Come with me, please.”

 

“Nora-“

 

“Please? I ran your gauntlet, I survived your arena, I killed Gage. I’ve proven myself, haven’t I? I’m going to go, and I’m going to find my son, and I want you with me, Colter. It isn’t that I need you, that I can’t do this on my own, that I’m afraid. It’s that. . .” She pulled in a deep breath. “I love you. Please, come with me?”

 

Colter didn’t move at first, like her words hadn’t made any damned sense. A split-second later, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him, lips crashing down against hers.

 

She might have freaked out, so soon after Gage, but between the chems in her system, the adrenaline from the fight, and the way he tasted like him, Nora melted into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clutching him to her.

 

They had a lot of things still ahead of them, stacked against them, ready to trample them, but fuck it all.

 

Colter broke the kiss. “You really willing to make this real?”

 

“More than anything.”

 

Colter nodded as he pulled back. “Alright, dove. Whoever took your kid better run really fucking far, cause between the two of us? They don’t have a shot.” He held his hand out, a question, an offer. Not trying to own her, but showing her he was willing to follow.

 

Nora set her hand in his. “Let’s give ‘em hell.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of Part 1. I plan to do part 2. For one, they need to follow the main quest line. They need to learn how to deal with each other outside of Nuka World. There, they had a lot of pressures because of their positions, but it will just be the two of them now, and that means learning who they really are. Obviously, they need to deal with Gage's rape of Nora, which Colter at this point isn't aware of. So, LOT'S of stuff for the next part, and I'm not close to ready to let them go.


End file.
